What Happens in Vegas Doesn't Always Stay in Vegas
by B R Cary
Summary: What if the last scene in Partings had not taken place? This is the story of what might have happened.
1. Well, you asked me, didn't you?

Title: What happens in Vegas, Doesn't Always Stay in Vegas

Author: B R Cary

Disclaimer: Nope, not mine.

Summary: "Nothing ranks a man so quickly as his skill in selecting things that are really worthwhile. Every day brings the necessity of keen discrimination. Not always is it a choice between good and bad, but between good and best." A. P. Gouthey

Chapter One – "Well, you asked me, didn't you?"

Lorelai sat on her couch, staring at the ceiling and trying to hold back the tears. She didn't want to be alone, but she didn't know where to go or who to call. She had already whined to Sookie enough and, though she knew she would be welcome, she didn't want to ruin any more of the little time Sookie got to spend with her family. She couldn't call Rory because she was spending her last night with Logan before he headed off to England. Lorelai was so desperate that she had even toyed with the idea of going to her parent's house. She had quickly come to her senses at the thought of just how wonderfully that conversation would have gone. She was sure her mother was still gloating over the wonderful breakdown in the realtor's office. No, her parents were not an option. Well, she could always go to Chris' house. With her mind made up, she got off the couch. Just then, the doorbell rang. Sighing deeply, she went to answer. As she swung the door open, she was extremely surprised to see Luke standing there.

"Let's do it."

It took a moment for Lorelai to realize what Luke had just said. To make sure she had heard him right, she said, "Do what? You mean elope?"

Luke walked into the small foyer and shut the door behind him. "Well, you asked me, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did, but you said no."

Giving his trademark exasperated sigh, Luke replied, "No, I didn't. I said I needed time to think about it. Well, I have and if this is what you really want, then I say let's go for it."

For the second time in less than five minutes, Lorelai stood there stunned. She had been so sure that she and Luke were through, but now here he was saying he was willing to run off and elope. "But what about . . ."

Luke cut her off. "Lorelai, you burst into my diner and started rambling off stuff about not wanting to wait any longer to get married and about how we either elope or we weren't getting married. And though I should be really angry about that and pointing out, once again, that I don't deal well with ultimatums or threats, if this is what you really want, then I say let's hop on the next plane to Vegas and make this happen."

"You're completely serious."

"Jeez, Lorelai. You know me well enough to realize that if I wasn't serious, I wouldn't be here right now."

"Sorry, you're right. I'm just trying to wrap my head around this. I can't believe that you are actually agreeing to this," Lorelai replied.

A frown crossed Luke's face. "Why did you ask me if you didn't think I would accept? Didn't you want me to?"

Lorelai held her hand up. "Luke, let's not start another fight. I meant it when I asked you. This is indeed what I want. You have agreed, so if we are both in, I say we go get packed."

Luke's face softened. "Let me go back to my place and get some things. I'll meet you back here in about a half hour. No wait, knowing you, I'd better make it an hour."

"You know me too well," Lorelai responded. Than as Luke turned to go, she said, "Luke." After waiting for him to turn around, she continued, "We're getting married."

Luke walked back over and ran his hand down Lorelai's face. "I know. I'll be back shortly." With that, he walked out the door.

Author's Note: I haven't been a fan of the Gilmore Girls for all that long. I have to admit that I only started watching the show about a year ago. But right from the beginning, I wanted Luke and Lorelai together. They just seemed to fit. And then, Season 6 came along. What should have been the happiest season with Luke and Lorelai finally getting engaged turned into one disaster after another. The final straw for me was the season finale. I am so ready to just Bobby Ewing the whole season – you know, write if off as a dream. Well, since I can't do that, I decided that I would write a fan fiction ending the season finale the way that I thought it should have. This is my first Gilmore Girls fan fiction, so I will try my very best to stay true to all the characters I use. I would really like your input.


	2. Luke, say something

Chapter 2: "Luke, say something."

Several hours later, Lorelai again looked at her surroundings and was amazed at how very different this night was turning out than how she thought it would. When she had woken up that morning, she had been sad, lonely, and depressed over the state of her relationship with Luke. Now, here she was jetting off to Vegas with him to get married - and in first class no less. She had been a bit surprised to learn that Luke had gotten them first class tickets, but, then again, maybe she shouldn't have been after she has seen how Luke had gone all out for the soccer team he sponsored last fall.

Lorelai glanced over at Luke, who was sleeping in the seat next to her. He looked so peaceful when he slept. She had never told anyone, not even Luke, but she loved watching him sleep. Something about it made her feel so safe. She had missed this the past few weeks.  
Wanting to make sure that she wasn't dreaming all that was happening, Lorelai reached out and gently ran her hand down Luke's face, delighting in the feel of his stubble under her fingertips. Luke stirred and opened his eyes. "I didn't mean to wake you," she whispered. "Go back to sleep"

Luke just shook is head and sat up. "I'm good." He stretched a little, and then turned to Lorelai. "I've been wanting to ask you about something you said earlier"

"I thought we agreed not to talk about any of that," Lorelai replied a bit nervously. She really didn't want to remember any of what she said now that they were on their way to get married.

"No, that was your idea. I think we need to talk about it. You were clearly upset, so I think we need to get it all out on the table"

"Don't you mean folding tray?" Lorelai quipped, trying to lighten the mood as she pointed to the tray that was unfolded before her"

Luke, however, was having none of that. "Lorelai, I'm being serious. I don't want to go into our marriage with any unresolved issues." When Lorelai finally nodded, he continued. "Okay, since we have obviously solved the whole getting married thing, let's start with the one that seemed to bother you the most. Actually, I think it bothered me the most. When did you talk to Anna and what did she say that got you so upset"

Though she didn't really want to talk about it or to even remember what Anna had said, Lorelai agreed with Luke. If she wanted to start her marriage off right and if she expected Luke to be honest with her, she needed to be honest with him. Taking a deep breath, she said, "It was the day after you came home all upset about the fact Anna had yelled at you for having me at April's party. I went to her store figuring if I could meet her and talk to her she might see that I'm a nice person and there was nothing for her to have worried about. I mean, I was always the favorite of all the Star Hollow's moms. Well, except for Mrs. Kim and I don't think Mother Teresa would have been good enough to watch her daughter. Mother Teresa might have introduced Lane to wearing all black or something." She paused for a moment to regather her thoughts. "Well, things didn't exactly go as planned. Anna told me that she NEVER introduced April to any of the men she was dating until she knew it was extremely serious, that way April didn't get emotionally involved with something that was just passing through their lives. I told her I understood that completely because I had the same rule when Rory was growing up, but that you and I weren't merely dating. We're engaged after all. She then said that engaged is not married. Engagements, she went on to explain, don't always happen and she didn't want me around April right now and when, and if, you and I indeed got married that we would deal with everything then. She apologized for coming off as semingly harsh, but that was the way she wanted things at the moment"

After Lorelai finished her story, she sat there biting her lip waiting for Luke to respond. When he just sat there, completely silent, she started to get worried. "Luke," she said quietly, "say something." Another few minutes went by. "Okay, now you're scaring me"

Suddenly Luke snorted angrily. "Where in the hell does she get off?" When the other passengers around them hushed him, he lowered his voice. "She has absolutelyno right to mandate who I do and do not let April see. Those might be her rules, but that doesn't mean I have to follow them. Who exactly does she think I'm going to introduce April to anyway - Charles Manson? You and I have known each other for 10 years. Ten years! And we had dated for over a year and were already engaged when I found out about April. So, according to her, if you and I were not dating, it would be all right for me to have introduced you. How does a piece of paper and a blood test change my level of commitment to you? And people who are married can still get divorced. I'm a perfect example of that. I chose not to introduce you to April at first because I knew how much she would adore you and I wanted time to get to know her. But that was MY choice. Anna has NO right to command MY fiance to stay away from MY daughter. And another thing . . "

Lorelai just sat there and watched Luke rant. Man, had she missed those. He was always so cute when he got indignant about something. Well, he was cute when the rant was not over something she had done. She broke into a small smile that caused Luke to stop mid-rant.

"What"

Lorelai only smiled wider. "I've missed your rants." Then a thought crossed her mind that caused her smile to fade.

"What?" Luke asked again.

"I think I know why Anna said those things"

"Because she's a . . ."

"No," Lorelai interrupted. "Because she is jealous." At Luke's snort, she continued, "I don't know why the two of you broke up, but I think she knows a good thing when she sees it. And I don't know why she didn't tell you about April all those years ago, but I think that she sees now what she missed out on and she regrets it. She wants you back and I'm a threat to that happening"

"No, you make it a non-issue." Luke responded with a stubborn note to his voice.

"Thanks for saying that, but . . ."

"But what?" Luke asked softly.

"Anna is my Chris"

"Huh?"

"Just as you don't like Chris coming around because I always seem to jump in to help every time he asks for it, you do the same with Anna. I know it's partly because they are the other parent to our daughters and they will always be a part of our lives, even though we might not always want them to be. But I also know that there can be this temptation to picture yourself with that person, to want to be a complete family - mom, dad, and kid. So when you jumped at the chance to postpone our wedding and then never reset the date, I thought . . . I thought maybe you had reconsidered marrying me. I thought you might leave me for Anna . . . and April." As Lorelai finished, a lone tear escaped as she finally admitted the fear that had been plaguing her the past few weeks. She didn't notice the stunned look that crossed Luke's face.

"That was never going to happen," he whispered as he pulled Lorelai into his arms. "How could you even think that"

Tears started flowing down Lorelai's face as the weeks of doubt and frustration caught up to her. "You didn't want me to even meet April or Anna. You kept the whole thing a secret for two months. What did you think I was going to do, yell at you for having a kid? Hello, I have one myself that I got at a MUCH younger age. At least you were an adult. It felt like you didn't trust me. Then after I found out about April and you still didn't introduce me to her, it felt like you were trying to hide me. I know you explained it, but it still hurt. You were always with April or Anna. I can't fault you for wanting to spend time with your daughter, not one bit. I know you two need to get to know each other. And I know that you want to have a smooth relationship with Anna. Again, I understand. Why do you think I put up with Chris? But then you let Anna buy you luggage. That's my job. And you meet her again and again on days when April was not coming without telling me about it. Think about how it feels when I meet Chris without telling you. You even told me how much Anna and I are alike. I guess I just thought that you might want to go start that family you talked about the night we got engaged, to go buy the plant and the furniture, but only do it with the person who had already given you the child you said might be nice. And even better for you, she's not addicted to coffee"

Luke pulled Lorelai even tighter to him, which caused her to break down even more. He said, in a horse voice full of emotion, "YOU are the one I want, Lorelai. No one else. I love YOU. I thought you knew that. I never meant to cause you any doubt or pain. I thought you knew how much you meant to me. You know I am not good at the whole expressing myself thing, but I should have told you how I felt more. But you know how I am. I can only deal with one thing going on in my life at a time. You said you were okay with the whole April thing, so I thought I could concentrate on building a relationship with her, that you and I were in a good place. The funny thing is, I just told TJ recently that sometimes you have to look past what a person is saying in order to hear what they are REALLY saying. I should have taken my own advice. I guess I did push you away. Please know that I never meant to. I'm so sorry. Man, no wonder you screamed at me earlier. I'm surprised you didn't do it sooner"

Luke's last admission caused Lorelai to chuckle a little. "So am I, but I realized in talking with someone tonight that is not the Gilmore way. We don't talk, we hide behind polite conversation. We don't discuss, we suppress. We don't reveal, we bury things so deeply that they either turn into bitterness or explode like a volcano"

"That's not very healthy," Luke said as he tucked a strand of hair behind Lorelai's ear.

"Well, we wouldn't want my emotional habits to be any different than my eating habits, now would we?" Lorelai tossed back. Then she sighed. "I know it's not the right way to handle things and I almost lost you because of it"

"You're not going to lose me, Lorelai. I told you on our first date that I was all in and I still am. I know what it feels like to lose you and I never want to have to go through that again. Oh, and just so we are clear on this, I was the one that broke with Anna back when we dated. And it obviously didn't affect her too much since April had three men that she needed to test to see which one was her father"

"I didn't think of that. Man, none of the women you date never seem to realize that they have, do they? Well, except me that is"

Luke kissed the top of Lorelai's head. "And you are the only one that matters. So, we okay now"

Lorelai nodded. "Yes, I think we are"

"And you now completely realize that you are the ONLY one I want, not Anna, not Rachel, not Nicole, or any other women you might be able to think of"

"What about Miss Patty? She has always admired your butt and I've heard that she had many a good time on a large set of drums she once owned." Lorelai teased, knowing how uncomfortable Miss Patty's obvious ogling always made Luke.

"Jeez, Lorelai. Way to ruin the mood," Luke said, indignantly.

"Well, I guess I'll just have to keep you around because it is so hard to find someone who makes coffee as good as you do or who looks as good in flannel and a backwards baseball cap or . . ." Lorelai never got to finish because Luke silenced her with a kiss.

Author's Notes: I just wanted to say thank you to everyone that posted a review for this story. I'm glad you are liking it so far. As for the short first chapter, I was going to write about them packing, but it seemed kind of boring since I knew that I would not have them talking about the whole Anna/April thing until they were on the plane. The following chapters will be longer than the first one. From what I foresee, this chapter will be the second shortest, but I cannot guarantee that. I have the story completely outlined and will break the chapters were it feels natural, usually in a change of scenery - such as moving from Lorelai's house to the plane. I will write the chapters and post them as quickly as I can. I have outside commitments that take up some of my week, so I will try to use my free time wisely.

Some people might not agree with me on what Anna's motives are in regards to Luke and Lorelai. This is just my take on her. I also feel that Luke would never intentionally hurt Lorelai. The character of Luke as I see him has always sort of pined after Lorelai. I mean, the man kept the horoscope she gave him in his wallet for eight years, through the time he got back with Rachel and during when he "married" Nicole. (I use quotes because I feel that though they were legally married, they never were emotionally.) Anyway, I tried to keep things as true to the story line that the show portrayed while still putting my own take on it. Please take it or leave is as you want. : )

Again, thank you to all who have read my story and to those who have taken the time to review. You are what inspires me to keep writing!


	3. There's always Celine Dion

3- "There's always Celine Dion."

Luke stood at the window of the hotel room he had booked for Lorelai and himself, looking at the view. Since they had gotten into Vegas so late - or early depending on how you looked at things - they had both agreed to wait until later that night to get married. That way they could spend the day relaxing and preparing.

Sighing quietly, Luke leaned forward and pressed his forehead against the glass. Not having slept all that well the past few nights, he was dead tired, but he just couldn't sleep. His mind kept thinking a thousand things at once, not the least of which was something that Lorelai had said on the plane. She had said that Anna didn't like her because she was in the way of Anna, April, and him becoming one big, happy family, an notion that made him at once both a little amused and a lot sad. How had he gone from the entire town of Stars Hollow knowing that he was in love with Lorelai - okay, maybe he HAD been pining - to neither Lorelai or Anna realizing how much Lorelai meant to him? And if he couldn't make the woman he had been in love with for almost 10 years realize just how he felt, how was he going to be a good husband to her? It wasn't that he didn't want to marry Lorelai. He had never wanted anything more. He just kept thinking of the huge mess he had made with the one other time he had made it to the altar. True, he and Nicole had only gotten married due to the large amounts of alcohol they had both consumed while on that cruise and he had never loved her, not in the slightest. If he was being completely truthful, he hadn't even really known her. Maybe that was the key to making things work with Lorelai. They already had a eight year friendship established before they had even gone on their first date. They had seen each other at their best and at their worst. He knew about her junk food habit and her obsessive coffee addiction. She knew about his like of protein drinks. He knew about her love of movie and pop culture and she knew about his hatred of all things Taylor. He knew about her distaste for her parent's world and everything it stood for and she knew he still had not painted over the order his dad had written on the counter. They knew how to push each other's buttons like no other person, but they also knew just how to make the other person smile and laugh. Maybe it was these things that when all added up made a good, solid marriage.

Luke was pulled out of his musing by a sound behind him. Turning around, he saw that Lorelai was just sitting up in bed. He secretly loved seeing her like this - no makeup, sleep tousled, and wearing one of his flannel shirts, though truthfully he liked it even more when she woke up without the shirt. "Morning, sleepyhead."

"Morning," Lorelai grumbled. "What time is it?"

Glancing at the clock, Luke answered, "Ten-thirty Stars Hollow time, but here in Vegas it's seven-thirty."

Lorelai flopped back down on the bed. "Stupid time changes."

Laughing softly, Luke crossed to his luggage and grabbed something out of the side pocket. He walked over to the kitchenette area of the room and began to make Lorelai some coffee, knowing that she would be asking for some soon. Turing back toward the bed, he said, "So, what are your plans for the day?"

"Uh, unless things have changed, getting married."

Sighing in mock aggravation, Luke replied, "No, those plans haven't changed, but I meant today during the day, not tonight."

Sitting up slightly, Lorelai said, "Sorry, you really need to clarify this early in the morning." She flashed Luke a cheeky grin, then continued, "As of right now I am planning on staying in this nice comfy bed and sleeping the morning away."

That had not been the answer Luke had been hoping for. Normally he would have no trouble at all with Lorelai wanting to spend the day in bed because she usually wanted him to join her, but he had something planned and he could not execute it with her in hearing range. Trying to think of a way to get Lorelai out of the room that did not raise her suspicions, he swung back toward the counter and poured Lorelai a cup of coffee. As he carried it over to her, he said, "Maybe this will help you jump start your day. And I won't even lecture you about how horrible it is for you. Consider it and early wedding present."

Lorelai sat up in bed and look the mug from Luke's outstretched hand. Luke watched in delight as her eyes widened as she took a sip. "This is . . .? How did . . .? Explain, mister."

Luke just shrugged. "For some strange reason you really seem to like my coffee. Since we are going to be gone for a week or so, I thought it best to bring some along - in the name of self-preservation, of course."

"Of course," Lorelai said as a small smile appeared on her face.

"I didn't want you whining all week," Luke teased.

"No, we wouldn't want that, would we."

"It would put a damper on the honeymoon."

Lorelai started laughing, softly. "Ah, now the truth comes out." She paused for a moment, then leaned forward and gave Luke a quick, but loving kiss. "Thank you. It was an incredibly sweet gesture."

"Just don't let anyone know. I do have a manly reputation to uphold."

This caused Lorelai to laugh again. "Your secret is safe with me."

They sat for a few moments in comfortable silence, then Lorelai suddenly spoke up. "Luke, to answer your earlier question, would you mind if I went and did some girly things like go shopping and getting my hair done? I don't want to leave you all by yourself, but even though we are having a kind of civil ceremony, I wanted to look nice. If you don't want to be alone, just say so and I . . ."

Putting his finger over her lips, Luke stopped Lorelai mid-ramble. "Lorelai, you're talking to Luke "Table for one" Danes, resident hermit of Stars Hollow. I'll be fine on my own. Go and do whatever you feel you need to in order to get ready for tonight, though I already think you look beautiful."

"Sweet talker," Lorelai answered, but Luke could tell she was pleased by the compliment. He made a mental note to do it more often. "So, Mr. Resident Hermit, what ARE you going to do to occupy your time?"

"Maybe I should check out some of the shows," Luke joked.

"There's always Celine Dion."

"Are you trying to turn me into Michel? I was thinking more along the lines of Wayne Newton."

"Better him than Tom Jones."

It was Luke's turn to laugh. "Darn, and that was what I had planned as a surprise for tomorrow."

Shaking her head, Lorelai go out of bed. "You're funny. I'm going to go grab a shower. Do you need in there before I do?"

"No, I'm good."

As Lorelai walked toward the bathroom, she called back over her shoulder. "You know, you could always join me."

Everything that was in him called to Luke to do just that, but he knew he could use the time that Lorelai was in the shower to begin implementing his wedding present to her. "If I do, you'll never get anything else done today."

"True, but it would be oh so enjoyable."

Luke had to agree. "You have no arguments from me on that but, just think, we'll have the whole week to ourselves to do just that."

"I'm holding you to that, mister," Lorelai said, and then shut the bathroom door.

Luke waited until he heard the water in the shower start, and then he walked over to the nightstand and picked up the phone. He knew he had about 5 minutes for Lorelai to take a shower and another five or so minutes as she got dressed, so he decided to start first with the most important person on his list. He dialed the number to get an outside line, then he dialed a cell number that he rarely called. After several rings, a familiar voice answered, "Hello."

"Hey, Rory. It's Luke."

"Oh, Hi, Luke. If you're looking for mom, she's not with me and I haven't talked with her for a day or two, so I'm not sure where she is."

Luke noticed that Rory sounded really down, but then he vaguely remembered Lorelai telling him that Rory's boyfriend, Logan, was moving to England for a year and he had to leave right after Yale let out. "No, I'm not looking for your mom. I already know where she is. That's actually what I'm calling you about."

"Is she all right? Did something happen to her?" Rory asked, the panic evident in her voice.

"Whoa, calm down. Nothing's wrong. Something good is happening . . . Your mom and I are getting married."

There was a pause on Rory's end, then she finally said, "Uh, Luke. I already knew that."

Luke sighed. "No, I meant your mom and I are getting married - tonight."

"What! When did this happen?"

"Just last night. Your mom came to the diner and said she wanted to elope, so I agreed," Luke explained.

"Why didn't she call and tell me?"

Hearing the hurt in Rory's voice, Luke quickly said, "I'm sure she's going to. We didn't get here until really late last night and she just now got up. She most likely thought you were seeing Logan off at the airport and didn't want to intrude on your time with him." When he heard Rory start to sniffle on the other end, he knew he needed to get to why he was calling. "Anyway, I know that you just finished exams and that you don't start your summer classes for two weeks, so I thought you might like to fly out here and come to the wedding."

"Where exactly are you guys anyway?"

"Vegas."

Rory's laughter could be heard over the phone. "Mom managed to convince you to go to Vegas. Wow, I'm impressed"

"Uh, actually it was my idea," Luke admitted.

"Well, then I'm even more impressed," Rory replied, and then she paused.. When she began again, her tone was filled with regret. "I would really love to, but my finances are all tapped out."

"I didn't say that you had to pay. I asked if you would like to come. All expenses will be handled, Oh, and if you want to bring a friend, I was thinking that you could stay until Tuesday or Wednesday, if you wanted. Kind of a mini-vacation to de-stress after exams."

When Rory began talking again, Luke could hear the tears in her voice. "Luke, you don't have to do that. I would love to be there, but it's really too expensive . . ."

"Rory," Luke interrupted, "don't worry about any of that. Your mom hasn't said anything, but I know she regrets that you aren't here to share this with her. She wants you here . . . I want you here. So, if you have no objections besides the money, there will be two tickets in under your name waiting for you at the Windsor terminal at the Hartford Airport. The flight leaves at three. I'll have a driver there to pick you up at the Vegas airport, bring you to your hotel, and then pick you up again when it's time to go to the chapel for the wedding."

"Thank you, Luke. It means so much to me that you are doing this," Rory said, quietly.

"Like I said, we both want you here. Oh, one more thing. Your mom know nothing about this, so if you talk to her, please don't give anything away."

"Your secret is safe with me."

"Thanks, Rory," Luke said, internally sighing with relief.

"Well, since I am now taking an unexpected trip to Vegas, I have some packing to do. I'll see you later tonight. Oh, and Luke, congradulations."

"Thanks and have a safe flight." As Luke hung up the phone, he thought about the girl he just talked to. Like Lorelai, Rory held a special place in his heart and it made him grateful and extremely happy that she truly seemed to accept him into their lives. Next to Lorelai and April, Rory's approval was the one the mattered the most to him. After all, as Rory had once pointed out, he was going to be her stepfather, as fact that had not eluded him. He just had a hard time wrapping his mind around how he, Luke Danes disliker of children, had gone, in less than a year's time, from being childless to having a daughter, a stepdaughter, and actually wanting even more children.

Luke was again pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of Lorelai. As she walked out of the bathroom, she pulled her hair into a ponytail. She was wearing the jeans that Luke had once told her that worked as well for him as they did for her and a green "Hello Kitty" T-shirt that somehow only she seemed to be able to make extremely sexy. "Miss me?"

Luke chuckled. "Do you even have to ask?"

"Just making sure."

Lorelai walked over to the kitchenette and poured herself another cup of coffee. "Luke, are you sure you don't mind . . .?"

Walking over to join her, Luke softly kissed Lorelai's forehead. "Yes, I'm sure. Wasn't the whole reason for waiting until tonight to get married was so we would be relaxed. Well, I know how shopping and going to the spa relaxes you. Go, have a good time. Get all dolled up."

Looking into Luke's eyes, Lorelai smiled. "I love you, you know," she said softly.

"I know. I wouldn't be here if you didn't."

"Okay, if you are sure, then I am going to head off to see if I can beat some of the crowd." Lorelai put her cup of coffee down and crossed the room to where her luggage was. Grabbing her purse, she headed for the door. "Hey, how about I call you when I'm ready for lunch and we can meet up somewhere. That way, I get shopping and you."

"Should I be offended that I placed after shopping?" Luke teased. As Lorelai made a face at him and stuck out her tongue, he said, "Didn't your mother ever tell you that your face would freeze like that?"

"Nope. Never. Not once."

"Why don't I believe you? Oh, and lunch sounds good."

"I'll call you," Lorelai replied.

Just as Lorelai was walking out the door, Luke called, "Lorelai." After waiting for her to turn around, he said, "I love you, too."

Lorelai flashed him a smile and shut the door behind her. After waiting a few moments to make sure that Lorelai wasn't going to come back into the hotel room, Luke got back on the phone once more. His first call was to Sookie and after listening to about ten minutes of Sookie first gushing about how romantic just running off was, then yelling about how she was now not going to be able to use the recipes she had planned on for the wedding, and then start planning again when she learned of the reception Luke and Lorelai had already planned on in Stars Hollow when they got pack, he was finally able to made her and Jackson the same offer he had made Rory. That lead to another five minutes of squealing. Once he finally had Sookie and Jackson secured, he then picked up the phone to make the call that he had been dreading. Taking a deep breath, he punched in the number Lorelai had given him when they started dating and waited. After a few rings, the phone picked up and a crisp, sharp voice answered.

"You have reached 860-555-7592. We are unable to come to the phone at this exact moment, but leave your name, your telephone number, and a detailed description of the nature of your call. We will get back to you at our earliest convenience."

As he waited for the beep, Luke took another deep breath. Though he had not really wanted to talk to Lorelai's parents, he was just as unhappy to have gotten their answering machine. Oh well, at least this way they couldn't say that they hadn't tried to contact them. At the sound of the beep, he said, "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Gilmore, this is Luke Danes. I am sure you are surprised to hear from me and most likely will be even more so after I tell you why I am calling. Uh, Lorelai and I are in Vegas and we are planning to get married . . . tonight. We would have called you sooner, but this was just decided last night. I know that this is not what you pictured for your daughter and I hope that it will not cause any further tension between you, but this what she wanted to do and I am going to see that she gets whatever she wants. Anyway, I just wanted to say that if you would like to come to the wedding, I have two tickets waiting for you under your name at the Windsor terminal at the Hartford Airport. The flight leaves at three. A driver will be waiting to pick you up at the Vegas airport, bring you to your hotel, and then pick up up again when it's time to go to the chapel for the wedding. If you choose not to come tonight, please know that sometime within the month after we get back, we will be holding a reception for all of our family and friends that can't be with us today. I know this is short notice, but I also know your presence tonight will make Lorelai very happy. I hope to see you there."

After he hung up, Luke sat down on the bed, drained. He had never liked talking with Lorelai's parents, as they had never exactly hidden their dislike and distaste of him. But he knew that though Lorelai had never said anything, she would regret not having her parents there to share her wedding day, because if he had his way, it would be her one and only.

Sitting back on the bed, Luke settled in to make his last few calls to complete his wedding surprise for Lorelai. Plus, the quicker he could finish the calls, the sooner he could take a nap. Something told him that it was going to be a long night.

Author's Notes: Just in case you are wondering what happened to Paul Anka during the time the story takes place, he is with Babette. Lorelai merely told her that she was going out of town. My dog wanted to make sure that it was mentioned that no dogs were left unattended during the duration of this story. : )

On another note, I recently read a fanfiction story that had a similar premise to my story. The story was "One's Engaged, Two's Married" by LoveLuke. It was posted the day before I posted the first chapter of this story. I have written to the author and made sure they knew that any similarities I have in my story to any in their's were completely unintentional and merely coincidental. I never meant to make it look like I was stealing any ideas. I truly started writing this story about a week before "One's Engaged" was even posted. LoveLuke wrote back to me and said they never thought any plagiarism had taken place, which I am glad of. I just wanted to publicly mention this and state that I am against any and all forms of plagiarism. I hope this clears any misunderstandings and misgivings. Oh, and check out LoveLuke's story. It's a good read!

Again, I wanted to thank everyone who has been reading this story. To date, I have over 1,100 hits. I've NEVER had that many before. I would REALLY love to know what you think of this story so far. PLEASE REVIEW! I really do like the feedback and knowing what your thoughts are. Oh, and reviews do seem to make me write faster. ; )


	4. Supplying the demand

Chapter 4- "Supplying the demand."

"Well, the same to you."

Rory shook her head as she looked at the person seated next to her. What had ever possessed her to invite Paris to Vegas, she truly didn't know? Maybe she had been having a low blood sugar attack when she had extended the invitation? Her first choice would normally have been Lane since 1)Lane was her best friend and 2)Lane knew both Luke and Lorelai extremely well. But since Lane had just recently gotten married herself, Rory had opted to ask Paris. Her slight regret wasn't because Paris was all that bad, it was just that Paris had a tendency to be . . . Paris. "Paris, the flight isn't all that long. Stop harassing the poor stewardess. We can get you some more peanuts when we land."

"But, it's not the same. I like the airplane peanuts."

Suppressing the need to roll her eyes, Rory handed her bag of peanuts to Paris, and then looked out the window. She could not believe she was on her way to her mother's wedding. Part of her was extremely happy that her mom and Luke were finally tying the knot. She knew of no two other people who belonged together more. But, if she were being completely honest, she would have to admit the other part of her was a bit sad and hurt that she hadn't been there to experience all of the wedding day events with her mom. In fact, if Luke hadn't invited her, she wouldn't have been there at all. She had always pictured her mom's wedding day and the days proceeding it as a time for her and her mom to go shopping and the spa and to just generally hang out, spending her mom's last moments as a single woman together. Now, all of this just brought back memories of how she learned her mom and Luke were engaged - Luke had been the one to tell her, not her mom. In times past, Rory would have been the first call Lorelai made and it would have taken place mere seconds after it happened. And while both the engagement and the elopement plans had very good reasons as to why she hadn't been told at once, it only seemed to make Rory realize how much she and her mom had grown apart. For so long it had always been just the two of them. Now she had Logan and her mom had Luke. She had always know this day would come. It's just, now that it had, she wished she could hold it off a while longer.

"I can't believe that Lorelai ran off to Las Vegas to get married. It's just so . . . pedestrian."

The sound of her grandmother's voice brought Rory out of her musings. She had been shocked when she had gotten to the airport and learned that not only had Luke got her first class tickets, but that he had also bought tickets for Sookie and Jackson, as well as her grandparents. She had wondered briefly if Jess was going to be there, but then decided not to borrow trouble before she knew for sure.

Again Rory heard her grandmother's voice from the seat behind her. "You know, this would have never happened before Lorelai met Luke."

Suddenly Rory had enough. She had listened to her grandmother put Luke down for years and had never said anything because she always assumed that once her grandparents got to know him, they would see for themselves just what a great guy he was. So far, that had not happened. She unbuckled her seat belt and swiveled her chair so she was facing her grandparents. "Actually, knowing mom, yes it would have. Don't blame Luke for something Mom decided to do. And none of us would even be on this plane right now if it wasn't for him. He knew how much Mom would want us all there, so he made it happen."

Emily just snorted, though that's not what she would have called it. "If she wanted us there so badly, why didn't she call herself? Or even better, why not wait to get married in a church, like she originally planned?"

"Ever since she and Luke postponed the wedding, Mom has thought that Luke didn't really want to get married, which couldn't be further from the truth. Luke was feeling overwhelmed about April and planning the wedding, but I know Luke wanted - no, wants - to marry Mom. Logan told me that Mom was all Luke talked about when we were all at the Vineyard over Valentine's. Mom probably thought this was the best solution - she would get to marry Luke and he wouldn't have to put up with all the stress of planning a wedding," Rory explained. As she said all this, she realized that her mom most likely never thought the whole elopement plan through. It was so like her mom to be spontaneous and not look at the bigger picture - that those she wanted at her wedding would not be there if she just ran off and got married. Thank goodness that Luke was more practical and took care of that for her. Her mom had been trying to fight for her relationship with the man she loved and saw nothing else but that. Just then, all the bad feelings Rory had about the whole situation vanished. After all, she understood what it was like to be that much in love with someone.

"Well, that may very well be true, but it's still just not how things are done," Emily replied.

"Then why did you even come?" Rory demanded, fed up with her grandmother's superior attitude.

"Because my daughter is getting married, even if it is to someone who is clearly not right for her."

It was the same old song and dance again and Rory had had enough. "Who is right for Mom, Grandma - Dad? Because let me assure you, no, he's not. You may think that he is, but I know better. I love Dad because he helped give me life and because he is a nice guy, but he is not who I wanted Mom to ever end up with. Luke is. Dad might have what YOU consider 'better breeding', but Luke is a much better man that Dad will ever hope to be. Dad was never there for us. I can't even begin to count the number of times that he promised me that he would visit, and then at the last minute call with some lame excuse as to why he couldn't show up. I can't recall a birthday party of mine that he EVER attended. Did you know that Luke makes me a coffee cake every year for my birthday because he knows it's my favorite? Luke came to my high school graduation. Dad didn't even bother to show up, and then he called me FOUR DAYS LATER to tell me he was sorry he couldn't be there. When I decided to drop out of Yale last year, Mom told me that Luke had been prepared to drive to Yale everyday and walk me to my classes because he knew it was my dream to go to school. Dad just told me to go backpacking and forget school. Luke tries to get mom and I to eat healthier, though he knows we will never be the health nuts he is. Did you know that he doesn't eat red meat?"

"Then why does he serve such horrible food at his diner?" Emily inquired, stumbling noticeably over the word 'diner'.

Sookie suddenly spoke up. "He actually tried to add some healthier food to his menu once like veggie burgers and gourmet salads, but not one ever bought or even tried them. Luke was forced to give it up and go back to his old menu."

"Supplying the demand," Richard added.

"Luke is doing the same thing. Luke is filling the void that Dad left wide open. And even when Dad finally start trying, it just didn't feel right. He and mom don't belong together. They are too much alike. Mom needs someone like Luke. He add stability to her life and she adds fun to his. They just work together. I wish you could see him, Grandma. I mean look past the flannel, the backwards baseball cap, and day old stubble - which I personally like on him - and really and truly see HIM. He is such a good man. Stars Hollow would not be the same without him. Mom wouldn't be the same without him. I wouldn't be the same without him. Whether he knows it or not, he helped shape me into the person I am today. And if you want to know the truth, I see him as more of a father-figure than I ever did Dad. When I was twelve, Luke was the one who bandaged my knee when some bully pushed me down and he was also the one who then went and yelled at that bully for me. He built me bookshelves for all my books. He listened to my speeches for debate class even though I'm sure they bored him out of his mind. He forgave me when he knew that I was one of the reasons Jess had to leave Stars Hollow the first time. He gave me his mom's pearls for my 21st birthday. His opinion and approval matter more to me than Dad's does. Luke is the type of man that most mothers dream of their daughters marrying and yours is. You should be happy for them, not condemning them because they aren't getting married in they way that you think is proper." As Rory finished, she took a deep breath to collect her thoughts. She wiped at the tears that were starting to form at the memories of all the things Luke had done her, just her, over the years. She hadn't really realized that she thought of Luke as a father-figure in her life, but as soon as the words left her mouth, she knew it was true. That was one of the reasons she had been so cautious when her mom first started dating Luke, because if they had broken up, she would have lost Luke, too. She would have lost her dad.

Emily just sat there for a moment, looking like she was trying to process everything Rory had just said. When she spoke again, it was in a quiet, subdued voice. "I always knew that Luke was an important part of your and your mother's life. I just never realized how big of a part. Your mom always seemed so happy whenever your father was around and since he already had connections and a good family name, I always encouraged the match."

"But you never saw her every time Dad promised us something, and then flaked out on us. It crushed her, Grandma. It made her doubt herself and it was never her fault. It never would have worked. It would have harmed them both, and me if it had happened when I was younger. And I know you think that Luke doesn't fit into your world, but, in the end, does that really even matter? You have to give him credit for trying. He is not comfortable with the whole high society atmosphere, but he ventures in occasionally because he knows how important it is to you. He wants to be the type of man that you want for your daughter, but what you don't realize is that he already is and do much more. Luke is all the things that you think Dad is, but isn't, and Dad is all you think Luke is. Luke has always been there, through whatever we've needed him for. He's been one of the few constants in my life. I love him and Mom loves him. Shouldn't that be enough?" Rory asked, quietly.

Emily was again quiet for a moment. "I don't know if I will ever approve of their match, but you've given me a lot to think about."

"All I ask, Grandma, is that you truly give Luke a chance. I think he will surprise you." With that, Rory turned her seat back around. She sat leaning her head back in her chair, hoping that her frankness hadn't caused her grandparents to alienate Luke even further. They never liked it when she spoke up to them and tended to lash out at the cause. Sighing deeply, she would just have to trust that her grandmother truly would think about what she had said. Suddenly, she felt Paris starting at her. "Yes, Paris?"

"I was just wondering, have I ever met this Luke person?"

Author's note: Sorry, I couldn't help throwing in the last line. I actually kind of like Paris. I like that her bravado is hiding a person who just wants to be accepted. Okay, you have to dig down REALLY deep to find it, but she does have a heart. Anyway, I like the fact that every time Paris meets Luke, she can't seem to remember who he is. It's sooo Paris, that I had to include it here.

I've noticed that I tend to have the characters stare out the window a lot. It will happen twice more in future chapters. Maybe I should have subtitled the story, "Rooms with a View."

I can't recall if Chris did call Rory for her graduation or if Luke does eat red meat. If I got either of these things wrong, please forgive me and consider it artistic license. : )

At last look, I am above 2200 hits on this story, but not that many reviews. I don't want to beg, but I am a needy writer who thrives on the accolades of others. ; ) Well, though that is partly true, I really would like to hear your feedback on the story. What things did you like? What things didn't you? What you would like to see more of? This is my first time writing a fanfiction for the Gilmore Girls, so how closely am I capturing the characters? Please let me know because I truly want to improve.

I think, by my estimate, I have three more chapters following this one, and then maybe an epilogue. I was also thinking of doing a sequel, but it would truly depend on if people would like to read one. I guess we'll see how the rest of the story goes.


	5. With this ring, I thee wed

Chapter 5 - "With this ring, I thee wed."

Lorelai took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. She couldn't believe it. She was getting married in less than half an hour. It wasn't that she was nervous or scared, she just wanted to see Luke. She hadn't seen him since lunch because she had said she wanted to at least partially follow the tradition of the groom not seeing the bride before the wedding. What had she been thinking? Now she wanted nothing more than to see Luke's face and hear his voice. Both had always been able to calm her. Then she looked around the room and realized that he was indeed there, in all the details. Luke had told her at lunch he had managed to secure a location for the ceremony. Lorelai had been expecting one of those quickie marriage places called "The Love Shack" or something equally tacky that were almost easier to find in Vegas than black jack tables, so when the limo Luke had arranged for her brought her to a beautiful, ivy covered chapel on the outskirts of Vegas, she had been extremely surprised, and touched, because it reminded her of the church she had originally booked for their wedding. Leave it to him to try and recreate the plans she had been so excited about. Then she got an even bigger surprise when she was lead to her dressing area and found vases of daisies, red and white roses, and camellias spread around the room and a bouquet of white roses, lavender, and blue primrose waiting on the dressing table. The bouquet had a note attached to it that read, 'I don't know anything about flowers, but the lady at the flower shop assured me these symbolize love and devotion. I hope she was right. I love you, Lorelai. I always have and I always will. I'll see you soon. I'll be the one in the suit waiting to make you his wife' She had to wipe away a tear when she read what Luke had wrote. Then she started to well up even more when she remembered that right before their first kiss, Luke had told her that she was the only person he had ever bought flowers for. Now here he was picking out her wedding bouquet. This man never ceased to amaze her.

Walking over the the room's full length mirror, Lorelai checked out her reflection. As she did, she recalled what her mother had said at the bachelorette party when she was going to marry Max, about how she, Emily, had tried on her wedding dress at least a dozen times in the weeks before marrying Richard. Lorelai hadn't understood then what Emily had meant, but now she got it. She had felt that way when she found that wedding dress several months ago, but since that dress had indeed become a sign that things had gone too smoothly that time and had ended up with having way too many bad emotions as accessories that went with it, she had decided to buy another dress today. When she had spotted the dress she was now wearing, she knew it was perfect and all those feelings her mother had described resurfaced with a vengeance. The dress was strapless and had a full skirt that ended mid-calf. It was made of ivory silk and hugged her body in all the places it should. The embroidered ribbon at the dress's empire waist made her waist looked even smaller than it was and had light and dark blue flowers on it which exactly matched both her and Luke's eye color. She had decided to wear her hair down and with the natural curl in it because she knew Luke liked it that way. Her look was completed by a pair of strappy, ivory silk, high-heeled sandals. Gazing at herself in the mirror, she had never felt more beautiful than she did at that moment.

Suddenly a knock on the door brought Lorelai out of her daydreaming. "Who is it," she called. As the door opened, two people walked in that she thought would not be there. Squealing excitedly, she ran over and threw her arms around Rory and Sookie. "What . . .? When . . .? How . . .?"

Sookie seemed to understand what Lorelai was trying to say because she answered, "Luke called this morning and told us that you two had run off to Vegas to get married. He said that he knew that you would want us all here, so he offered to fly us out."

Just when Lorelai thought she could not love Luke any more than she already did, he did something that caused her to fall even deeper. "I can't believe he did that," she said quietly. "How did I, Lorelai 'the Relationship Serial Killer' Gilmore manage to get so lucky?"

"Well, look at it this way, Mom You'll soon be getting a new last name, so you'll be able to lose that moniker."

Turning to her daughter, Lorelai was at once overcome with guilt. She should have tried harder to call Rory earlier. She had tried once, but when she got voice mail, she hadn't tried again. This was the second time her daughter had to hear life changing news from Luke and not her. "Rory, I am so, so sorry . . ."

Rory pulled Lorelai into a hug and interrupted softly, "I understand, Mom. I really do. And it's okay. I could not be any happier for you than I am at this moment."

Hugging her daughter back, Lorelai said, "I'm so glad that you are here. I want you to stand up there as my witness. That is, if you want to."

"I'd be honored to," Rory replied, with tears in her eyes. She reached up and wiped them away. "Okay, enough tears. This is a happy day. Now, let's see this dress."

Lorelai stepped back, and then did a twirl. She knew she had indeed picked the right dress when both Rory and Sookie gasped.

"Oh, Lorelai," Sookie gushed, "You look absolutely radiant."

"I agree, but there is something missing." At Lorelai's quizzical look, Rory pulled something out of her purse. It was a small, velvet box about the size of her hand. When Rory opened the box, Lorelai saw that it contained the most beautiful strand of pearls that she had ever seen.

"Where did you get those," Lorelai asked. "A present form Logan?"

"Yes, they were a present, but not from Logan, though you do have the correct first initial. They were from Luke. He gave them to me for my 21st birthday last year. He told me they had been his mother's."

Lorelai could hear the emotion in Rory's voice and she knew it meant a lot to her that Luke had given her something that had once belonged to someone who had been so special to him. "They're beautiful. He really cares about you, Hun. I hope you know that."

"I do. Anyway, I brought these so you would have your 'old and borrowed'. And I stress the word BORROWED."

Lorelai laughed softly. "Message received loud and clear." She took the pearls from the box and put them on. "How do they look?"

"Perfect," both Sookie and Rory answered.

Turning back to the mirror, Lorelai saw that the pearls perfectly set off her dress and seemed to add a glow to her face. Sookie and Rory walked up behind her and gave her a hug.

"So, how do you feel? Do you feel like running this time?"

Nodding slightly, Lorelai said, "Yes, but not in the direction I did then. With Max, I was all anxious and nervous because it never felt the way I imagined it would. I never could picture myself growing old with him, and honestly the thought of doing so made me feel a little trapped. With Luke, I can't imagine growing old with anyone else. I feel more free to be myself around him because he has seen me at my absolute worst and my best and he still claims that he loves me. This time I am only anxious because I want to hurry up and become Mrs. Luke Danes." She turned to Rory. "You were right. Well, actually you both were. He's the one. I'm just glad that I finally saw it."

All three women started to tear up again, then Sookie said out of no where, "You've found your Mushroom Man."

There was a pause, then they all broke down into giggles.

------

On the other side of the chapel, Luke sat polishing his shoes, totally unaware that he wife to be was coming up all kinds of nicknames for him that was cause him to cringe, blush, or both. His only thought was that he hoped she liked everything he had planned. He wanted this day to be perfect for her, to be the day that she had always dreamed about. The trouble was, besides the few things that she had mentioned about the wedding that was supposed to have taken place on June 3rd, he had nothing to go on. They had never really sat down and talked about wedding plans, so he was basically going into this blind.

"I hope that's new polish. You really don't want a repeat of what happened last time you polished your shoes for a wedding."

Luke's head snapped up at the voice of the last person in the world he expected to be attending this wedding. "Jess, what are you doing here?"

"Jeez, I can feel the love. Mom called and told me you and Lorelai had flown out here to get married. She feels bad, by the way, that she couldn't come, but the doctor put her on a no flying restriction. It's nothing serious, they just want to be extra careful due to Mom's past 'recreational activities'. Plus she and TJ have to hit the festival circuit next week or they will lose their spot by the apple doll booth. I hear it's the coveted spot to have. Anyway, I thought someone should be here to represent our family, so here I am."

Luke just sat there for a moment and started at his nephew. He was SO different than the sullen, angry teen he had been not that long ago. Not only was he wearing a suit, complete with tie, but that was the longest speech Luke had ever heard Jess make without once showing a bad attitude about something. "I'm glad you're here. I'm sorry I didn't call, but I didn't think you'd come, with the bookstore and all. Had I known, I would have gotten you a ticket."

Jess help up his hand. "Not necessary. The bookstore is actually doing pretty good. I'm not making millions, but I'm doing all right. We are even looking into expanding to other locations."

"I'm proud of you, Jess. I always knew you could do it."

"I know. And that's why I'm here. You were there for me when no one else was, so I wanted to be here for you. Especially since this is equivalent to Superman FINALLY hooking up with Lois Lane. No one ever thought it would actually happen."

Knowing that Jess was just teasing him, Luke merely rolled his eyes, and then he grew serious. "Hey, what would you think of being my best man?"

Though Jess tried to hide it, Luke could tell he was pleased. "Are you serious?"

"Well, you're here and you are already wearing a suit. Why not put it to good use?"

"Why not."

Luke pulled Jess into a one-armed man hug. "Thanks for coming, Jess. It means a lot to me."

"Anytime," Jess answered.

The two sat in comfortable silence, then something Jess said hit Luke. "Hey, you actually called Liz, 'Mom'."

------

Twenty minutes later, two people stood waiting in various corridors, ready to get married. Luke followed the minister out to the sanctuary and took his place, with Jess moving to stand beside him. He looked out into the audience area and saw Sookie, Jackson, and Rory's friend, Paris, sitting there. When he spotted Emily Gilmore sitting there, looking extremely uncomfortable and out of place, his eyes widened. He hadn't actually expected her to show up. When he didn't see Richard, he wondered if Emily had come alone. The idea was almost too much of an end of the world scenario to contemplate.

As his eyes continued to look over the people in attendance, Luke noticed that there were two chairs directly across the aisle from where Emily and that each chair had a bouquet of red and white roses on it. At once he knew they were Lorelai's doing and that it was her way of honoring his parents. Not being one who cried over things, he blinked back the tears that threatened to come at Lorelai's thoughtfulness. Only she would realize how not having his parents at his wedding would affect him. After all, she was the only one who knew the true reason behind his annual "dark day". Thankfully for him, he didn't have to much time to dwell on it because the music started.

------

In the hallway leading to main doors of the sanctuary, Lorelai turned to Rory and gave her a hug. "I love you, kid. And though I am marrying Luke today, know that no one will EVER take your place in my heart."

"I love you, too, Mom. And I wasn't worried. Luke would never try to come between you and I. It's one of the many reasons I love him so much," Rory said, and then she headed through the chapel's double doors.

Lorelai stood there for a moment, a bit stunned. That was the first time that Rory had ever said she loved Luke. To Lorelai, that was just one more thing confirming she was marrying the right guy. She started to step in front of the doors that Rory had just walked through, when someone suddenly came up beside her. "Dad, what are you doing here?" she said, not believing that her father was actually standing there.

"Did you really think I wouldn't want to be at my only child's wedding or that I would miss out on walking her down the aisle?"

Lorelai was touched that her dad was there, especially knowing that he really didn't like Luke or approve of him. She also know that Luke was the one responsible for her father being there because she had never called her parents to tell them of the elopement. 'Man,' she thought, 'Luke is SO getting lucky tonight' "Thanks for being here, Dad. You'll never know what it means to me."

Richard pulled Lorelai into a hug. "Hopefully as much as it means to me. I know we've had our differences in the past, Lorelai, but please know that I've only ever wanted the very best for you and to see you happy. But mostly know that I love you."

"I love you, too, Dad, but I hope that one day you'll realize that Luke is what's best for me. He is what makes me happy."

"Actually, Lorelai, I have come to realize that. He's a good man. I would have never been able to give you away to someone who wasn't," Richard said, hugging Lorelai again. "Well then, let's go get you married."

Richard held out his left arm and Lorelai placed her right arm through it. She had pictured this moment a thousand times since she was a little girl, but she had never realized the sheer happiness she would feel at the moment. She was just about to step forward when she felt Richard hold her back. "Dad?"

"I just wanted to tell you how very beautiful you look."

Lorelai smiled. "Thank you."

Squeezing Lorelai hand, Richard reached out and pushed open the double doors, which signaled a change in the music. A piano version of "Through the Eyes of Love" (from the movie "Ice Castles") started playing. As Lorelai stepped into the room, she saw Sookie and Jackson as well as Paris. Then she saw her mom, which surprised her, but seeing as her father was there, maybe it shouldn't have. Then she looked to the front of the room. Rory was standing there on the bride's side and on the groom's side, Lorelai was shocked to see Jess. Though she had never been a fan of his, she was glad he was there for Luke. Her eyes moved a little to the left and fell on the man she loved. She nearly gasped out loud at just how devastatingly handsome he looked. He was wearing a black suit, white shirt, and silvery blue tie. The suit was obviously from a designer label and enhanced his tall, athletic frame. His dark hair was falling down around the corner of his eyes in the way she liked. But what drew her in the most was the look of love written on his face.

The moment Lorelai walked through the doors on her father's arm, Luke had not been able to look at anything else but her. She looked like a vision. She was breathtakingly beautiful and he could not believe that he was lucky enough to be the one marrying her. He noted, with an internal smile, she was carrying the bouquet of flowers he had picked out for her.

Though it seemed like an eternity, it only took a few short moments for Lorelai and Richard to make their way down the aisle. Luke and Lorelai never took their eyes off each other the whole time. As the minister, an older, distinguished-looking gentleman by the name of Reverend Sebastian, stepped forward, Lorelai mouthed "Thank you." She hoped Luke would understand what she meant it for.

Luke seemed to because he smiled softly, and then mouthed back, "You're welcome."

Reverend Sebastian opened up the book he was holding and looked out at the crowd. "Beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the love of two very special people - Lucas Danes and Lorelai Gilmore. From what I have learned about this couple, I come to realize that they share a love that so few people ever find. That kind of love must be nurtured and cherished. It is the duty of not only the two people in front of me who are about to be wed, but also the family and friends who join them here today. Now, who gives this woman to be wed?"

"Her mother and I do," Richard answered. He leaned forward and kissed Lorelai on the forehead, then hugged her. As Luke stepped forward, Richard stuck out his hand. Luke grasped it and the two men shook hands. "I'm placing my most valued treasure in your hands. Take care of her," he said softly.

"I will, sir," Luke replied, knowing that he had just received Richard's approval.

Richard went to join his wife and Luke moved to stand beside Lorelai. Without even being prompted to, they clasped hands. Reverend Sebastian again began speaking. "Lucas William Danes, do you promise to love this woman in sickness and health, for richer or poorer, in good times and bad, forsaking all others for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Luke answered in a strong, clear voice as he looked into Lorelai's eyes.

"Lorelai Victoria Gilmore, do you promise to love this man in sickness and health, for richer or poorer, in good times and bad, forsaking all others for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Lorelai responded, without a hint of hesitation in her voice.

"Lucas and Lorelai have decided to recite their own vows." Reverend Sebastian turned toward Luke. "Lucas, we'll start with you."

Luke turned fully toward Lorelai. "A little over ten years ago a woman walked into my diner and changed my life forever, though I didn't realize it that the time. Slowly over those years, I fell in love with that woman, though I tried to fight it because I never thought she would ever be with a man like me. And when I couldn't fight it anymore, I tried to hide it. When I couldn't hide it any longer, I kissed her and suddenly the world just seemed to make sense. Lorelai, I know we've had our rough spots, but we always seem to work our way through them and come out stronger. I love you and will continue to love you no matter what happens." Luke reached into his pocket and pulled something out. It was a beautiful ring in platinum with emerald cut diamonds circling the band. "This was the ring my father gave my mother for their 10th wedding anniversary. They didn't have much money at the time, but when Dad saw Mom admiring this ring in the window of a jewelry shop one day, he wanted her to have it. He saved up for a year to get it for her. Right before she died, she gave it to me and told me to give it to the woman who one day captured my heart, that hopefully it would bring us the same happiness that she had with Dad." As Luke paused for a moment, sniffling could be heard from the pews and all the women, and Jackson, could be seen wiping their eyes. Luke took a deep breath and then continued, "I promise to honor, cherish, and love you for as long as I am alive. So, with this ring, I thee wed." He took Lorelai's hand and slipped the ring on her finger.

Lorelai took a moment to take in both the beautiful ring on her finger, which amazingly fit perfectly - like it had been made for her - as well as all that Luke had just said. She was trying everything in her power not to start crying at his beautiful words, not only to her, but about his parents, who he spoke about so rarely. Then she noticed that the minister was raising his eyebrows at her and she realized it was her turn to recite her vows. After handing her bouquet to Rory, she began, "As a child I always loved fairy tales. Maybe it was a precursor to my movie obsession. Anyway, though I loved all the stories, I never truly believed in Prince Charming. He seemed a little too perfect for me. No man I had ever met seemed to fit into that mold. But who knew that Prince Charming likes to wear a backwards baseball cap instead of crown and drives a truck instead of riding a white horse. No wonder I couldn't find him." This caused everyone to laugh. "From the first moment I met you, I knew you were someone I could depend on. You became my rock and one of my best friends. I have always felt safe with you. No matter what else was going on in my life, when everything seemed to be falling apart, I knew as long as I could just get to you, then everything would suddenly not seem so bad. It took me a long time to realize what that feeling was - it was love. Luke, you are the only man I have ever truly loved and, even more importantly, completely trusted. You've made me understand what it's like to feel cherished and it's in the small things you don't even realize that you are doing. On our first date you told me you were in, you were all in. I now return those sentiments to you. I promise to honor, respect, love, and cherish you for as long as I have breath in my body. Luke, with this ring, I thee wed." Lorelai took the gold ring that Rory handed to her and placed it on Luke's finger.

After the rings were exchanged, Reverend Sebastian again started speaking. "These two have exchanged rings as a sign of their commitment to one another. Just as a ring is solid and unbroken, so hopefully will be this marriage. Now, by the power invested in me by God, the church, and the state of Nevada, I now pronounce you man and wife. Luke, you may kiss your bride."

Smiling broadly, Luke reached out his right arm, wrapped it around Lorelai's waist and pulled her to him. He leaned down and kissed her, softly yet passionately. When they pulled away, they were both grinning.

"I now present for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Lucas Danes."

This was met with loud cheering. Amid the noise, Luke leaned over and whispered in Lorelai's ear. "Hi, Mrs. Danes."

"Hello yourself, Handsome."

Luke only grinned wider. "Hey, Lorelai."

"Yes, Luke."

"We just got married."

Lorelai laughed softly. "It's about time."

------

Author's note: The ring Luke gave Lorelai was something that I just felt Luke would do. After all, he did give Rory his mom's pearls. I also think it would be something Liz would support. Despite all her screw-ups in the past, I believe she is a good person who truly does love her brother and would do whatever she could for him. She also seems to really like Lorelai. Even when Luke was still "married" (again I use air quotes because it was a marriage by paper only) to Nicole, Liz kept pushing Luke toward Lorelai. Why else would she give Luke a pair of earrings and tell him to give them to Lorelai or his wife, whom she never even calls by name. I wanted to have Liz at the wedding, but there were already too may people in the story to write a really intimate one, which it was I wanted this to be.

Jess was never supposed to make an appearance when I originally wrote the outline for this story. But then one of my reviewers asked if he was going to show up and, suddenly, he was there demanding to be put into the story. Darn, punk kids. ; ) When Jess first hit the Gilmore Girl's scene, I could not stand his character, but then sometime around "Luke Can See Her Face", he started to grow on me. The scenes between Luke and Jess after TJ's bachelor party and after Liz's wedding are some of my all time favorites. Because of that, I decided that it just made sense after all that Luke and Jess went through that Jess would want to be at Luke's wedding and of his own accord. I'm still toying with the idea of bringing him back for the sequel to this story and maybe putting in a little Jess/Rory sub story.


	6. Am I only dreaming?

Chapter 6 – "Am I only dreaming?"

After sitting through a round of photos, Luke and Lorelai found themselves in a limo on their way to the reception Luke had planned. Lorelai was so happy that she practically bounced in her seat. She looked over at the man seated next to her. There was just something about him that was so different than any of the other guys she had ever known. There was none of that posturing she had seen in Jason or any of the inconsistency Chris was so famous for. Luke had the quiet, relaxed confidence of a man who knew who he was and was comfortable with it. It even crossed over to how he dressed. Both Jason and Chris, and to some degree Max, had dressed to impress. Luke never felt the need to impress anyone and it seemed to make him all the more desirable. Lorelai had seen the number of women whose heads turned when Luke was wearing his usual plaid shirt and backwards baseball cap. And now, wearing a suit, he had all the ladies at the chapel they had just left practically falling over themselves in order to help him. Normally that would have bothered her, but since Luke had vowed to forsake all others in favor of her, she just stood back and watched him squirm under all the attention. That was another thing she loved about Luke – he didn't realize the affect he had on women.

Luke suddenly turned and looked at Lorelai. "Okay, why are you staring at me?"

Breaking into a smile, Lorelai replied, "It's your own fault. If you weren't so good looking, I wouldn't be forced to stare."

Smiling back, Luke said, "Speaking of good looking, have I told you how absolutely breathtaking you look?"

"No, but feel free to give your positive views on all aspects of my being."

Remembering that he had said something similar to her right before their first 'official' date, Luke's smile widened. "I would, but then we wouldn't make it to the reception."

Lorelai pretended to pout. "Mean."

"Maybe, but we'll just have to wait to get to the 'dirty' later."

That caused Lorelai to laugh. "I'm rubbing off on you."

Winking, Luke said, "Again, that will have to wait until later unless you want to give another limo driver a show."

Blushing, Lorelai recalled the drunken limo ride the year before after the party for the article featuring in Inn. "That's all right. I don't want to share any of your positive views"

"I appreciate that. You are the only one I want seeing my them," Luke said, laughing as well.

Suddenly the limo stopped and seconds later, the door was opened by the driver. "We're here, Mr. Danes."

"Ooooh, so formal. Too bad you're not in a tux then I could be your Bond girl."

"I thought you already were," Luke answered as he got out of the limo.

Lorelai gave Luke her hand and he helped her out of the limo. She leaned into him and gave him a kiss. "Always." Then she noticed where they were. The Eiffel Tower Restaurant. She had seen a picture of the inside of the restaurant once and at once fell in love with the amazing views that could be seen from the windows. She had always wanted to eat there, but it was something that she didn't think that she had shared with Luke. "How did you know?"

"Know what?"

"That I've always wanted to eat here."

"I didn't. I just saw it on the website when I booked the plane tickets and it seemed like a good place to hold a reception," Luke replied, honestly.

"Luke Danes, you never cease to amaze me."

"And I hope I never will." Luke held out his arm to Lorelai. "Shall we go? Everyone should be waiting inside for us."

Linking her arm through Luke's, Lorelai leaned into him again. As she kissed him, she said, "Let them wait just a few seconds more."

- - - - - -

As Emily sat waiting for her daughter and that . . . diner man to show up, she looked around the room the wedding reception was being held in. She had been quite surprised when she had stepped into such a fancy restaurant. She was so certain that the reception was going to be held at whatever local greasy spoon or burger joint that Lorelai and her new husband could find. Her surprise had grown even more when they had been escorted to a private room with an incredibly beautiful view of the city below. She wondered how a man who wore a ratty baseball cap and flannel – that word gave her such a horrible taste in her mouth – could afford all this. Surely he didn't expect for her and Richard to help pick up the tab. They would have been happy to do so if the couple had gotten married in a proper manner, but they would not pick up one tab for this . . . whatever it was.

Leaning over to Richard, who was sitting contently in his chair drinking a glass of scotch, Emily said, "Richard, if that man asks us to help pick up the tab for all this, we are not going to do so."

Richard just let out a chuckle. "I hardly think he will, Emily. Luke does not strike me as the sort to plan something like this without being able to pay for it out of his own pocket."

"But how can he pay for it? The man owns a diner, for heaven's sake," Emily said, bitingly.

"Emily, your dislike of the man's profession is well-known and seemingly well-founded, but Luke is hardly destitute. Granted he could have made millions had he franchised like I advised him to, but I've had a chance to check him out since then. In fact, Luke himself sent me over his financial portfolio. He seems to be quite a wise business man on his own merits. He owns his business outright, so all his profits go back into the business or into the bank. He also owns the entire building his diner is in, as well as the one next to it, so he gets money for the lease of the soda shop as well as rent for the apartments above the soda shop. That money is invested in stocks and bonds. Our firm's financial guys assure me that Luke is financially stable."

"But Lorelai could have done so much better," Emily practically pouted, though she would not have called it that.

Richard put his drink down. "Lorelai has made her decision and we have to abide by it. Did you not learn anything from the whole debacle after our vow renewal? Let her be, Emily. I know you don't like Luke, but he really does seem to make our daughter happy. Maybe it's time we let that be enough."

As Richard picked up his drink again, Emily say there and stewed. She would never accept Luke being in her daughter's life. He just was not good enough for her. Not that Chris was either, but at least he was from their social circle and could give Lorelai the security of those connections. Luke would never have that.

Sighing, Emily picked up her glass of wine and took a drink. Despite her objections, she did have to admit that the ceremony had been lovely. It might not have been what she had always envisioned for her daughter, but it seemed to fit her daughter.

A sudden commotion around her caused Emily to look up to see what was happening. She noticed that Lorelai and Luke had finally arrived. Seeing the smile on her daughter's face, both Richard and Rory's words echoed in her mind. Why wasn't it enough that her daughter did indeed seem happy? Was she such a snob that social status and breeding were more important than her daughter? It scared her a bit that she truly did not know the answer to that. Then something else Rory had said to her came to mind and she looked at Luke, trying to see him with unbiased eyes. She watched as he stepped back when Rory came over to give her mom a hug, seemingly letting mother and daughter have a moment together. But she noticed for the first time a look of pride on Luke's face as he looked at Lorelai and Rory together. It wasn't a look of arrogant pride that she had seen cross Chris' face, but one of genuine satisfaction. As Rory moved to hug Luke, Emily noticed the smile that crossed his face. It surprised her to admit that Luke was quite a nice looking man and standing there in a well-fitted suit, he almost had an air of the good-breeding that she was used to seeing in men. Gone was the rough and tumble diner owner. In his place was a well-mannered gentleman. Had that always been there? Emily thought back to her past encounters with Luke and she realized that it had been. He might never have the polish of the society set, but he was indeed well-mannered and polite. Even the times she had yelled at him, he had bit his tongue, when she knew that he would have loved to yell back.

Emily continued to watch Luke and Lorelai for a few minutes as the rest of the wedding attendees surrounded the couple. She noticed how Luke always seemed to step back a bit and let Lorelai stand in the limelight. Then looking around again, it struck Emily that none of Luke's relatives were here, except his nephew. Where was his daughter? Surely Luke would have wanted her at his wedding. A smug look started to cross her face at the thought of finding something she could point out to Lorelai about her new husband, when another thought crossed her mind. The chapel, the flowers, the people in attendance, the reception location – these were all things that Lorelai would like. Luke knew her daughter well enough to realize that and to surround her with the things and people she loved most. Luke had totally taken himself out of the day and let Lorelai be the one to step to the forefront. He had put her feelings and wants above his own. As Emily watched Lorelai turn toward Luke and smile up at him, she finally got it.

- - - - -

Luke excused himself from the group of people that surrounded him and Lorelai. He needed to refill his glass, but he also needed to get some air. He had never been comfortable in a group setting. As he made his way to one of the waiters that were milling around the room, he felt a hand on his arm. Turning, he saw Rory standing there. "Hey, Rory. Thanks again for coming."

"I wouldn't have missed it for the world. I was wondering if I could talk to you for a moment."

Noting the serious look on Rory's face, Luke put his glass down on the nearest available space. "Of course." Sensing that she might want a bit of privacy for whatever it was she had to say, he placed his hand on Rory's back and led her to the far side of the room. "Is there anything wrong?"

Smiling softly, Rory replied, "No, nothing's wrong. Something's finally right. I just wanted to tell you how happy I am that you and my mom got married. I know I've never told you, but I want to thank you for always being there for my mom . . . and me. I told Grandma and Grandpa on the way out here that I've always viewed you as the male role model in my life, that you were more of a father to me than my own dad ever was. I just wanted to tell you how thankful I am for all those times and to let you know how much they meant to me."

For the second time that day, Luke had to fight to hold back the tears. He reached out and wiped the tears that Rory had no such luck fighting. "They meant a lot to me, too."

"Did you know when I was younger, I always dreamed of having what other kids did. You know, the whole family unit – mom, dad, and kid. I told Mom that once and she said that maybe someday I would get what I wanted. At the time she meant that maybe my dad would finally decide to grow up and become a man. I, too, held onto that dream for awhile. Then one day Mom came to me and told me that she thought she was dating you and I got scared. Not because I didn't want the two of you to get together. I got scared because of how badly I did want it to happen. Without me realizing it, the picture in my mind had changed. My dad was not the man in my dream family – you were. And if you and my mom got together, then broke up, not only would I lose someone I thought of as a friend, but I would lose my dad as well."

At that, Luke felt a few tears slip down his face despite his best efforts to keep them in. "You would have never lost me, Rory. I would have always been there for you, no matter what. And I still will be."

"I know that – now, but at the time I was so used to men just picking up when things got too hard. Thank you for showing me that real men stay. Oh, and also never thanked for being willing to knock some sense into me last year when I dropped out of Yale. Mom told me who you had been willing to camp out at campus and go to classes with me to make sure I went. Although I don't think I would have learned much with all the girls who would have been trying to flirt with you," Rory joked.

Luke just rolled his eyes. Rory was sometimes too much her mother's daughter. Not that he would have changed either of them for the world. "Thanks for the last part, I think. But as to the first, I knew that wasn't you talking. The Rory I knew wasn't a quitter and never walked away from things that were unfinished. I also knew that school was your dream and I was not about to let you give that up. Your dreams are important to me."

"Just as my mom's are to her. I know about the money you gave her. And before you go jump on her for telling me, she didn't. I heard the two of you talking about it one day. It's yet one more thing I want to thank you for. Opening that inn has been something my mom dreamed about for as long as I can remember. I know that without you, it would not have happened. It's the same thing with this wedding. You made this day so special for her," Rory said.

"I just wanted to give her a day to remember," Luke answered simply, embarrassed at Rory's accolades. "Oh, and just so you know, I didn't invite Jess. I wouldn't have done that to you."

Rory gave Luke a small smile. "I know, but don't worry about it. I'm okay with the whole Jess thing. I have been for awhile now. We talked when his book first came out and if you remember, I did go to his bookstore launch. When he first came back, I was still at my grandparents and he said pretty much the same things about me dropping out of school that you did, about how it wasn't at all like me."

"Rory, I know that you are a big part of why Jess turned out the way he did. You were a good influence on him. I know he hurt you and I'm sorry for that, but I still wanted to say thank you for giving him a chance when no one else would."

"I didn't have all that much to do with it. You were the one he responded to. Though neither of you want to admit it, you are both alike in a lot of ways," Rory pointed out.

Luke just shrugged. "I guess so."

"I know so. All Jess needed was to know that someone would always be there for him - to love him enough to stand up to him when he needed it, to kick him in the pants when he deserved it, but to love him through it. You're really good at that."

Blushing a little, Luke said, "Thanks."

Rory smiled. "I hope April knows how lucky she is to have you as her father. I would trade places with her in a heart beat." She paused for a moment. "Oh, I've been meaning to give you back your mom's pearls. I leant them to Mom to wear for today, so I'll just give you the box so you can put them back in it."

Luke gave her a confused look. "Don't you like them? I thought they might be something you would."

Shaking her head, Rory said quickly, "No, I love them. They are the most beautiful thing I've ever owned. It's just when you gave them to me you didn't know you had a daughter, so I'm sure that now you do, you'll want your mom's pearls to go to her."

Luke could hear the sadness in Rory's voice. He knew he had to make her understand that he viewed her as his daughter as well. "Now, I might not be up to date on all whole family thing, but isn't it tradition that jewelry and things like that go to the oldest daughter? So, in my eyes I did give them to the right person, my oldest daughter, the one who held a place in my heart first and who always will – no matter what."

Luke was surprised when Rory suddenly threw her arms around him. "Thank you."

"No, thank you for telling me all this. Rory, you know you mom means everything to me, but know that you have always been part of that package as well. It means so much to me that you've accepted me into your life. I know how special your mom is to you and I would never want to do anything to try and come between the two of you. You know that right?" Luke asked.

"I know and I told mom that's one of the many reasons I love you so much."

Smiling, Luke hugged Rory again. "I love you, too."

Rory hugged Luke back. "We'd better get back to the party or Mom will think I'm trying to steal you away or something."

Knowing Rory was trying to lighten to mood much the way her mom did by tossing out a joke after things got overwhelming for them, Luke let the comment slide. He followed her back to where Lorelai stood. Lorelai looked over at the two people approaching and smiled. "So, you two looked deep in conversation. Care to share?"

"Nope," Rory answered, and then hugged her mom. "It was just something I needed to say."

Lorelai looked between Rory and Luke. She seemed to decide that everything was ok because she said, "All right then. I'll just have to grill you both later."

"I look forward to it," Rory replied. She leaned over and gave her mom a hug. "I love you, Mom." Then she turned to Luke and gave him a hug as well. "I love you, too, Dad." With that, she walked away.

Lorelai turned to Luke, stunned. Luke just stood there with a grin on his face. "Did Rory just call you dad?"

"Yep, that she did."

Lorelai began to smile as well. "Okay. Just checking."

- - - - -

Dinner was a fabulous affair and true to his word, Luke made sure lobster was on the menu. Even Sookie had to concede that the meal was wonderful. Jackson had to keep her from sneaking off to the kitchen to get the recipes, knowing that if she did, she would be lost for the rest of the evening.

After the final course had been served, Jess stood up and tapped his glass to get everyone's attention. "I know it's customary for the best man to give a toast. I've never been good at these things, but here goes. Authors and poets talk a lot about love. I should know. I own a bookstore. But I've never really had love modeled for me. My mom is on her forth marriage. My father, his third. Then my Uncle Luke and Lorelai finally got together. And watching them has made me realize what love is supposed to be. It's not the feeling that hundreds of books talk about, but instead true love is born out of friendship, something all those authors and poets never bother to tell you. Love is all the little things you do just because you know it will make the other person happy. So, today I want to thank the two people who taught me what true love is all about." Jess held up his glass. "To Luke and Lorelai."

When everyone had raised their glass and took a drink, Rory then stood up. "I could stand up here and tell a funny story about my mom, after all, I have a million of them. I might even be able to come up with some about Luke. But I won't. This day is far too special. Today marks the end of one journey and the start of another. The journey that is ending is two people who danced around each other for years pretending not to see or denying what every one else around them saw – they belonged together. Both are strong, but together they are stronger. They don't complete each other, but rather they compliment. And today, they join as one. Ten years of building a relationship has finally led to the start of something new and wonderful, something so many of us hoped and dreamed would happen for so long. I love you both so much. With that said, please raise your glass in celebration of the happy couple."

- - - - - -

After dinner was complete and everyone was again milling around, Richard walked over to Luke and Lorelai. "May I talk to you both for a moment?" Richard asked.

Surprised, Luke and Lorelai excused themselves from Sookie and Jackson, with whom they had been talking and followed Richard to the corner of the room. Richard handed Luke an envelope. "I didn't want to give you your present in front of everyone."

Luke hesitantly opened the envelope, not knowing what he was going to find inside. Never in his wildest dreams did he expect to find photos and the deed to a house. Shocked, he handed it to Lorelai, who gasped, "Dad is this . . .?"

Richard spoke up. "Yes, it's the same house you saw at the realtor's. Now, I heard what you said that day, but I felt that things would work out and your mother and I wanted to give you this."

Standing there, Luke didn't know how to react. Obviously Lorelai's parents didn't think he could afford a house for their daughter. Well, he didn't need charity. "Mr. Gilmore, thank you for the offer, but . . . "

Richard held up his hand. "It's Richard, and, Luke, we didn't buy you this house because we think that you can't do it on your own. I know the contrary is true. We heard from that Kirk fellow you bought a house, but backed out when Lorelai didn't want to move from her home. Kirk also told us that you had liked that house since you were a child. We just wanted to repay your sacrifice. Lorelai's house is much too small if you intend to start a family. It's too small for the family you have now. Emily and I chose this house with the two of you in mind, not just Lorelai."

Luke looked at Richard to judge his sincerity and saw no judgment on the elder man's face. Richard did indeed seem to be telling the truth. Turning to Lorelai, he said, "You've seen the house. Is it something you'd want to live in?"

Lorelai smiled at Luke's thoughtfulness. She could not believe that he was again allowing her to pick where she wanted to live. She really did get THE good one. Handing Luke back the photos, she said, "It is a beautiful house and it has all the character that you liked about the Twickham place. But we did just put all that work into my house. However, it's your decision, Luke. I'll support whatever you decide."

A million thoughts were running around in Luke's head. As he looked at the house in the photos, it did appear to be a place that he would like. He had always been fond of houses with history and solid construction. But did the house come with a price? And he and Lorelai had just renovated her house. Yet, it was still her house. Wouldn't it be nice to start out in a place that neither had lived in before, to have a place of their own? Taking a deep breath, he decided, hoping he was making the right choice. "Then I say, let's accept the house." He turned to Lorelai's dad. "Thank you."

Richard accepted Luke's outstretched hand. "You're welcome, son."

Lorelai leaned over and hugged her father. "Thank you, Dad."

"You're welcome, sweetheart."

The three were just starting to walk back over to the rest of the guests when Emily suddenly appeared. "May I speak to Luke for a moment, please?"

Lorelai looked over at Luke, who nodded. "It's okay, Lorelai. Go with your dad and I'll be there in a minute." After Richard and Lorelai left, he turned back to Emily. "Yes?"

"Luke, I know we've had our differences and while I still would have preferred my daughter to marry someone with better connections to the world she grew up in, I've come to realize that in some areas I may have been too quick to judge you. My daughter and granddaughter appear to love you a great deal. And while I hate to admit it, you probably have been one of the few constants in either of their lives. I want to thank you for that. I told you once that I would stay out of your and my daughter's relationship and I will continue to abide by that agreement. Seeing how you are now apart of the family, you are welcome to come to Friday night dinners. You may also bring your daughter, if you so choose."

Luke just stood there for a moment trying to process everything Emily had just said. After several long seconds, he finally said, "Emily, I hope that one day you won't feel the need to stay out of my relationship with your daughter, but truly accept it. I love her and have for years. That isn't going to change and I'm not going anywhere. Thank you for the invitation to dinner, but I again I hope that you will welcome me, and your daughter, into your home, without the feeling of being obligated to. Lorelai wants nothing more than your love. I suspect that has always been the case. And you want your daughter's love just at badly. But in order to get love, you freely have to give it. That's something your daughter taught me." He paused for a moment. "I want to thank you for coming. I know it was short notice and I apologize for that. But your presence here today meant a lot to your daughter . . . and to me." With that said, Luke walked away and returned to his and Lorelai's guests, leaving Emily to think about what he had said.

**Author's Note: **I am SO sorry this chapter took so long to post. Like I said in my author's note, my home computer caught a virus and I can't use it right now. I'm using my work computer, which means I only have certain times in which I can type up anything. Then add on top of it the fact that this chapter was REALLY hard for me to write, for some reason. It's not my favorite, by any means, and it really didn't turn out how I wanted it to. I would have left it out, but certain things in the chapter do set up some things for the sequel. This chapter was supposed to have a Rory/Jess interaction scene, but the whole chapter was feeling already too disjointed, so I decided to leave it out. Just know that Jess and Rory talked and everything is good between them.

I hope to get the last chapter and the epilogue up in a more timely manner. The last chapter is almost completely written and the epilogue is already done. Please hang in there with me. Hopefully it will all be worth it.

Thank you to all who have been reading the story! In the past I would have just abandoned this story when my computer got sick and I got writer's block, but you all are what pushed me to keep going. I dedicate this story to you all.

Oh, and bonus points to anyone who can tell me where the title of this chapter came from. In the last few chapters, I've titled the sections after a piece of dialogue and that will continue in the last chapter and epilogue. Hint: The title of this chapter is from something Lorelai is a fan of and was featured in an episode. That's all I will say. : )


	7. A Drunken Mistake

Chapter 7 – "A Drunken Mistake"

'I'm Mrs. Luke Danes,' Lorelai thought to herself as she stood out on the balcony of her and Luke's room and watched the water show at the Bellagio. She couldn't believe it actually happened. She and Luke had really gotten married. Looking down at her left hand, she watched both her engagement and wedding rings catch the lights from The Strip. Closing her eyes, she tried to savor the moment. Suddenly, she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her. Leaning back against Luke, she sighed in contentment. They stayed like that for a few moments, and then Luke whispered in her ear, "So, Mrs. Danes, what are you thinking about?"

Lorelai turned so she could look into Luke's face. She saw the happiness she was feeling reflected there. "About how much I love hearing myself called that."

Luke broke into a smile. "Not as much as I enjoy it."

"I'm also finding it a little hard to believe that I FINALLY got married. Mrs. Kim will probably faint dead in her tracks. Taylor will most likely hold a festival. It will be called the 'Lorelai won't die a spinster Days'. There will be free ice cream for everyone and balloons for the kids," Lorelai joked.

"Yeah, Taylor will latch onto any reason to hold a crazy festival," Luke shot back.

Playfully slapping Luke on the shoulder, Lorelai then because serious. "I wanted to thank you for everything you did today. I loved the chapel and the flowers. And flying out all our friends was incredibly sweet. It was a day I'll always remember."

Luke reached out and tucked a stray piece of hair behind Lorelai's ear. "I wanted to make it memorable for you because if I have it my way, this will be your one and only wedding." He paused for a moment, and then sighed. "You don't know how much I regret that it's not mine. I should have had the stupid thing annulled."

"What? Your marriage to Nicole?"

Nodding, Luke said, "If you could call it that. Jess told me once that it was nothing but weird. I call it a drunken mistake, one I sincerely wish I hadn't made. I hate thinking of her as my ex-wife. If I had known then that I had even the slightest chance with you, I would have never married her, let alone date her."

"Well, you didn't," Lorelai replied. "Really marry her, that is."

"Uh, Lorelai, I was there when the captain proclaimed Nicole and me as married. I did get married," Luke said as a look of confusion crossed his face.

"You might have had a ceremony, but did you exchange rings?"

"No."

"Did Nicole take your last name?"

"No, but a lot of women don't these days."

"True, but most women do or they at the very least hyphenate it. Luke, you and Nicole lived apart for most of your marriage. I know it's a source of contention between us, but it's true. You were willing to buy me a house. You bought me an engagement ring. You and I are both wearing wedding rings. What does that tell you?" Lorelai inquired.

Luke shrugged. "That you are the one I love."

Lorelai continued on as if Luke had never spoken. "And another thing, you told me that the horoscope I gave you on the first day we met has been in your wallet since then. That means it was in there through both Rachel's return and through your marriage to Nicole. If you had really been committed to Nicole, you would have thrown it away. Liz didn't even know Nicole's name. And since Nicole didn't take your last name, that makes me the one and only Mrs. Luke Danes and if I have my way, I will be the only one who will ever have that title."

"I love you," Luke said again.

"And I love you," Lorelai responded. "That all that really matters. What I was trying to say is that we both have things in our past we would like to change. Mine is my relationship with Christopher and how I let him affect me. All you and I can do is move forward together and leave the past in the past."

"I agree."

Lorelai was quiet for a moment, and then said, "So, what were you and Rory talking about earlier." She saw the look if exasperation on Luke's face and adopted a sly smile. "What, I told you that I was going to grill you."

"I really don't think it's my place to share."

"Oh, come on, Luke. Your Rory's stepfather now. Part of being a parent is sharing dirt on your kids. Unless it something that Rory told you specifically not to share with me, then it's okay to," Lorelai explained.

"That's what we were talking about," Luke answered.

"About whether or not to share things with me?" Lorelai asked.

"No, about Rory being my stepdaughter. I don't want her as my stepdaughter."

Lorelai could not believe what she was hearing. She had always thought that Luke wanted to be a part of Rory's life. That was one of the reasons she loved him so much. "But I thought . . ."

At hearing the angry tone in Lorelai's voice, Luke held up his hand. "Lorelai, before you get mad, let me finish. I don't want Rory as my stepdaughter because I don't view her as such. I love her just as much as if she were my own."

Again, Lorelai stood there speechless. Part of the reason that she had resented April's presence so much was because she knew that Rory had always viewed Luke as sort of a father figure and with April's sudden appearance she had been concerned that once again Rory would get pushed aside just as she had when GiGi came into Chris' life. Luke's confession had quieted those fears. She reached out and hugged Luke. "Thank you. You'll never know what it means to me to hear you say that."

Luke hugged Lorelai back. Then as if reading her thoughts, he said, "I'm not Chris, Lorelai. Just because April has shown up doesn't mean that I will love Rory any less than I always have. I told Rory this, and now I will tell you as well. Before you and I stated dating and I dreamt of having a relationship with you, I always knew it would include Rory. I was, and still, am fine with having an instant family. I'm getting older and if we never get to have any children of our own, at least we already have two daughters."

"Two really great daughters who are both scarily smart. How weird it that? I mean, they could actually be sisters being as alike as they are," Lorelai commented.

"Lorelai, I know I hurt you, even though I swear I never meant to, but I want to thank you for letting me have the time to get to know April. And thank you for being so willing to let her into our lives," Luke said as he ran his hand down Lorelai's face.

"I truly did want you to have that time, because I know how much not having Chris in her life hurt Rory. I just wanted to get to know her, too. I didn't think it would be fair to her to have you to herself, and then suddenly have to share you with a step mom she had never met."

"You're right."

Gasping in mock surprise, Lorelai said, "I'm sorry, I don't think I head you right. Can you repeat that? Is Luke Danes actually admitting I was right?"

Luke rolled his eyes. "Funny. Totally hilarious. Remind me again why I love you."

Smiling, Lorelai said, "And they're back, Folks."

Luke smiled back, and then the smile turned into a wicked grin. "That reminds me, didn't I promise you earlier a 'dirty'?"

Lorelai's smile grew to match Luke's. "Why, yes you did?"

"My mom always did say it was wrong to break a promise," Luke said as he moved to kiss Lorelai's neck.

"You also promised me that I would get a positive view on all aspects of your being."

"Well, I say that it's time to start fulfilling those promises," Luke said as he wrapped his arms around Lorelai's waist and began to walk backwards into their room.

As they crossed the room's threshold, Lorelai reached behind her and closed the balcony door, then drew the curtains, shutting out the rest of the world.

**Author's Note:** Well folks, this is the last chapter. Only the epilogue to go.

I want to thank eveyone for all the great reviews. I have two sequels outlined for this story as well as a couple of possible stand alone stories. Please let me know if they would be something that you would like to read. : )


	8. But, what about our happy ending?

Epilogue – But, what about our happy ending?

Anna paced around her house, waiting and trying to calm her racing heart. Ever since Luke had called and told her he was going away for two weeks and that when he returned he would have some news that would affect their relationship, she could hardly sleep. She had suddenly felt like a teenager waiting to hear from her crush. And then when he had called today and told her he needed to see her, her heart had practically leapt out of her chest. 'This is it,' she thought. This is where Luke came over and told her he had finally left that Lorelai person and he wanted to get back together, that all her plans and dreams had finally been realized.

Just then, Anna heard the sound of Luke's old truck pull into the driveway. Though she wanted to run out the door to meet him, she walked slowly as to not appear too eager. There would be time enough for that later, she thought slyly. As she walked down the porch steps, she saw Luke getting out of his truck, looking as handsome as ever, but as he came closer, Anna saw that there was something different about him. Whenever she had seen him during the past few months, he had always appeared on edge and stressed out. Now he looked tan, well-rested, and . . . happy.

"Hey, Anna," Luke called out in his deep voice that had always made Anna a little weak-kneed.

"Hi, Luke," Anna returned. "I see you made it back from your vacation safe and sound. How was your trip?"

A smile crossed Luke's face, making him even more handsome. "It was even better than I had hoped." He paused for a moment. "That is actually what I wanted to talk to you about."

Anna fought the urge to run to Luke and throw her arms around him. "Why don't we go sit on the porch and you can tell me all about it." As she led Luke to the porch, she asked, "Can I get you anything to drink?"

"No, thanks," Luke said as he sat down on one of the wicker chairs that were scattered all along the porch. Then without waiting for Anna to sit, he continued, "I guess the best way to start is to come right out and say it. Lorelai and I are no longer engaged."

As Anna sat down, she reached out to pat Luke's arm. Trying to sound sympathetic, she replied, "I'm sorry to hear that."

"I'm not."

At Luke's direct response, Anna felt her hopes increase even farther. This was exactly what she had been hoping for. Again, she tried to convey a sense of compassion, though inside she was jumping for joy. "Well, as long as you are all right with it."

"Don't you want to know why Lorelai and I aren't engaged anymore?" Luke asked.

"Only if you want to tell me. But, Luke, may I say something first?"

"Go ahead."

"I never really liked Lorelai," Anna admitted, feeling good that she could finally express her true feelings towards Luke's fiancée or, should she say, former fiancée.

"Why not? It's not like you even knew her. You only met her the one time," Luke inquired as he turned to face Anna.

"I knew enough. I know her family is extremely wealthy and she grew up in the Hartford social scene. She got pregnant at 16 and then ran away from home. She's bounced from relationship to relationship, was engaged once before – to her daughter's teacher, no less – and also dated her father's business partner, all before she started dating you. And I think I recall hearing that several Stars Hollow citizens were against the two of you forming a relationship. Her daughter got arrested last year for stealing a yacht. A yacht! Then said daughter dropped out of college to organize a whole bunch of snotty D.A.R. functions. Luke, this woman was just trouble waiting to happen. She comes from a whole other world than me and you are used to and I don't think either her or her daughter would have been a good influence on ours. That's why I told her I didn't want her to be around April until after you two got married. I figured it would never get to that point because you would finally come to your senses. Thankfully you have, so now we can all move forward," Anna explained, glad Luke had finally seen the kind of woman that Lorelai Gilmore was. Man, even her name bugged Anna. What kind of name was Lorelai anyway? It just reeked of money and privilege. It was so much better for Luke to see now that he had been trying to date out of his league. Anna was so caught up in her musings, she didn't notice the anger starting to build in Luke's eyes.

"How do you know all of that? I never told you?" Luke demanded.

Anna waved her hand dismissively. "I had a friend check up on her for me. I just wanted to see what kind of person would be spending time around my daughter."

"You mean OUR daughter. And I frankly find it very insulting that you didn't think you could trust my judgment," Luke said as he sat back in his chair and crossed his arms.

"It wasn't that I didn't think I could trust you," Anna said, using her mom tone that said she was just doing what she thought was best. "I just thought that someone who was outside of the situation might be able to give me a more objective take on it."

"Well, your friend did a lousy job of reporting back," Luke tossed back.

Anna was getting a little frustrated with Luke's attitude. She could not understand why he was getting angry with her. "Why are you getting so upset? You can't deny any of what I said is true."

"I'm not trying to deny it, and neither would Lorelai, but none of it expresses who she REALLY is. Yes, she grew up surrounded by money and privilege, but she hated it. She never felt like she fit in there because all she wanted was a normal life with parents who cared about her hopes and dreams and not about keeping up appearances. Yes, she got pregnant at 16, something she would be the first to caution and advise against. She ran away from home at 17 to give her daughter a chance to live her own life, to choose her own path without having it mandated by the Hartford society set. Lorelai worked her way up to managing a very successful inn, the same inn she started out working as a maid in. She dreamed, though, of owning her own inn, which she now does and it's even more successful than the one she managed. Rory, her daughter, grew up healthy and happy and, yes, at age 20 made a poor choice in judgment, but she learned from her mistakes. She is now back at school and has since become the editor of one of the top college papers in the nation. Lorelai instilled Rory with the desire to learn, compassion, strength of character, a strong work ethic, and the ability to dream. Lorelai herself is one of the most caring, amazing people I know and our daughter would be privileged to grow up to be anything like her," Luke said.

Anna just sat there steaming at Luke's words. How dare he say he wanted HER daughter to grow up to be anything like that woman. "If she is so wonderful, why did you break up with her?"

"I never said I did," Luke replied.

It was at that moment Anna noticed the almost smug look on Luke's face. Something wasn't right here and she was beginning to suspect her dreams were about to be shattered – again. "But you said you two were no longer engaged."

"That's right, we're not. Because I finally came to my senses and married her."

And then the other shoe dropped, the fat lady sang, and the screen faded to black. For a moment Anna couldn't breathe. Married? Luke had married her. The thing she had been fearing and dreading would happen actually had. "But what about OUR happy ending?" she inquired, almost in a whisper.

"Whose happy ending? Yours and mine? You lost out on that 13 plus years ago when I walked in on you with those guys you picked up from the bar. You talk about Lorelai bouncing from guy to guy, but at least it wasn't all at once. I know why you didn't bother to tell me about April back then and it was because you couldn't tell exactly who the father was," Luke said, the anger clear in his voice.

Clenching her jaw, Anna seethed, "Well, if you hadn't been so wrapped up in your work then maybe I wouldn't have had to go elsewhere."

"I was trying to start a new business. You knew that when we started dating so don't put your inability to commit to only one guy on me. I didn't cause you to cheat. You did that all on your own."

Anna took a deep breath to calm herself down. Luke was right. She had no excuse for how she behaved back then, but she had learned her lesson and changed. "You're right and I'm sorry, both for yelling and for how I treated you back then. There was no excuse for my actions. But I've changed a lot since them. Can't we leave all that in the past and start over again?" She hated that she could hear the pleading in her own voice.

Luke just shook his head. "No, we can't. Even if I wanted to, which I don't, ten years ago a gorgeous brunette walked in my diner and asked for coffee."

Watching the wistful smile that crossed Luke's face, Anna knew she had truly lost him. It was then she noticed the gold band that adorned the ring finger of Luke's left hand – the final nail in the coffin. "That long, huh?"

Nodding, Luke answered, "Yeah, that long." He reached into the pocket of his plaid shirt and pulled out what looked like a small card. As he handed it to Anna, he said, "This is actually why I came over. I wanted to invite you and April personally."

Anna looked at the card Luke had handed her. It read:

_Luke and Lorelai Danes ask you to join_

_them in celebrating their recent marriage._

_Since so many of their friends and_

_family could not attend the actual_

_wedding ceremony, they will be holding_

_a vow renewal ceremony on the steps_

_of The Dragonfly Inn. A reception on _

_the Stars Hollow town square will follow._

_Date: July 1st_

_Time: Noon_

"Exactly how committed are you both to this marriage if you already have to hold a vow renewal?" Anna asked, knowing she sounded like a spoiled child who had not gotten her way.

In a controlled tone, Luke replied, "We are both extremely committed to our marriage, but there are a lot of people who wanted to see Lorelai and I get married. Who have, for some reason, been waiting for us to, so we decided to renew our vows."

"How thoughtful," Anna tossed back in an obviously sarcastic tone. "But not to point out the obvious, but why didn't you just invite them all to the actual ceremony?"

"Because Lorelai and I got married in Las Vegas. That's where I've been. Well, there and several other places."

A sudden, almost horrific thought crossed Anna's mind. Why had Luke and Lorelai gotten married so quickly? Was it because they wanted to or because they felt they needed to due to other certain events? She was almost afraid to ask, but she had to know. "Why Vegas and why elope? Is there any certain reason you felt you needed to do that?"

"Not that it would really be any of your business, but no other reason than we didn't want to wait to get married."

"Wow, a Vegas wedding. How classy. Was Elvis there?"

Again, Luke didn't take the bait. "Lorelai said it was everything she had ever dreamed of and that was what was important. No one else's opinion matters to me." He paused for a moment. "Lorelai and I want April to be a part of the vow renewal ceremony."

"Absolutely not! My daughter will NOT be attending."

Luke jumped out of his chair. "You keep saying your daughter, but you seem to forget she's my daughter, too. You can't keep shutting me out of decisions or make them for me." Again, he paused for a moment. Finally, he said, "I want joint custody."

This caused Anna to stand up. "You want WHAT!"

"I want joint custody," Luke repeated.

"Over my dead body. You will never get any control over my child," Anna practically screamed, not believing what she was hearing.

"Anna, I'm not trying to take April away from you. I just want to be able to see her, on my own terms, and to have her spend time with the people in my life who are important to me and not have you yell at me for supposedly ruining her life," Luke replied in a surprisingly calm tone.

This only made Anna even angrier. "No, you just want to take her from me and turn her into another Lorelai. Well, I won't allow it."

"Then you will be hearing from my lawyer," Luke said as he walked down the porch steps and out to his truck. He opened the door, and then turned back to Anna. "I had really hoped it wouldn't come to this. And I'm sorry if I somehow gave you the impression that my feelings were something other than they really are. I love Lorelai. I have for years and that's never going to change."

As Luke got into his truck and drove away, Anna broke down into sobs, knowing that she was the only one to blame for throwing all her chances with Luke away thirteen years ago.

- - - - - -

Luke drove up the driveway to his house. He still couldn't get over the fact he actually owned a house. But today the trill of home ownership and arriving at said home was dulled by his fight with Anna. He knew it had been a bit cruel to bait her like he had, but he had to see if Lorelai had been right in her assessment about Anna's motives. Obviously she had been. He could not believe Anna had thought they would ever get back together. That bridge had been burned a long, long time ago and it wasn't one he EVER wanted to rebuild. And now, to top it all off, he had to find a lawyer. Man, he hated lawyers.

Sighing, Luke opened the front door and walked into the house. All he wanted to do was grab a beer, sit down, and forget today ever happened. But it appeared someone else had other ideas because he was suddenly greeted by a beautiful brunette wrapping their arms around him and whispering in his ear, "Welcome home, babe." Luke's day all at once didn't seem nearly as bad. Then it got even better when Lorelai began to kiss him. He enthusiastically returned the kiss. After several long moments, he pulled away, but still kept his wife in his arms. "That was a very nice way to be welcomed home."

Lorelai laughed softly. "Well, Donna Reed would have been waiting with a martini in hand, but if I did that, I wouldn't have been able to wrap both arms around you."

Kissing Lorelai again, Luke replied, "I would rather have you over a martini any day. Of course, I really don't like martinis, so . . ."

Lorelai playfully swatted Luke's arm. "Mean." She then paused. "Okay, spill."

"Spill what?"

"The reason the Mr. Grumpy look is back. You haven't made that face since before we got married, so I know something's happened."

Knowing Lorelai would just bug him until he told her what was wrong, Luke said, "I went to see Anna today."

Nodding, Lorelai moved from the circle of Luke's arms and led him to the couch. After they had sat down, she said, "I stopped by the diner on my way home from the inn and when you weren't there, I figured that's where you had gone. I take it things didn't go well."

"That would be an understatement," Luke snorted. "You were right, but the way."

"Of course I was. I always am," Lorelai replied, in a teasing tone. "But what about?"

"Anna wanted to get back together."

"Oh."

Something in the tone of Lorelai's voice caused Luke to look at her. He could se the fear in her eyes, but he could also tell she was trying to hide it. He grabbed her hand and intertwined their fingers. With the other hand, he gently ran it down her face. "Hey, Mrs. Danes, I believe I told you once that was a non-issue for me. That is never going to happen, EVER. I told Anna the same thing. When she asked my why it wouldn't, I told her because 10 years ago a gorgeous brunette walked into my diner, demanded coffee, and somehow left with both coffee and my heart."

Lorelai gave Luke a bright smile, but was quiet for a moment. "And to think I almost went to Weston's that day."

"I'm glad you didn't, but I know we would have met anyhow, someway. The entire town knew we were, and are, meant to be together. Anna just needs to realize that as well."

"I guess she didn't offer any heartfelt congratulations when you told her we got married."

"No, not really. Remember the level TJ said that Liz's voice gets when she's mad, I think Anna topped it. Oh, and she thought the whole vow renewal idea was a sign we were less than committed during our first ceremony," Luke said, rolling his eyes. "Like we care what she thinks, anyway."

"She's not going to keep April away from the ceremony, is she?" Lorelai asked.

"She's said she's going to try." Luke paused for a moment, debating with himself on how to bring up the whole joint custody issue. It was something he and Lorelai hadn't discussed. He hoped she wouldn't be mad at him for making the decision without talking to her first, especially since he had recommitted to his promise of being totally honest and upfront with her. "Um, Lorelai, I told Anna I want joint custody. It was something that just slipped out, but it's what I want." He was startled when Lorelai suddenly stood up. "Lorelai?"

Lorelai grabbed something from off her desk and walked back over to the couch. As she said down, she said, "I figured you would eventually come to that decision. I mean, I just assumed that was one of the reasons you agreed to us taking this house. Anyway, I know how much you hate lawyers, even more so after Nicole, but I figured we would need one. I hope you don't mind, but I talked to my dad. Here."

Luke took the piece of paper Lorelai held out to him. On it was written a name and a phone number. "What's this?"

"It's the name and number of the best family lawyer in Hartford. He specializes in joint custody cases," Lorelai replied softly. "I called him this morning and spoke with him, just about the basics. If you decide you want to go with him, all you have to do is call him and go over the rest of the details."

Luke just sat there, stunned. Why did the world have to keep reminding him that he really didn't deserve a woman this incredible? "I can't believe you did this, Lorelai."

"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have just went ahead and . . ."

Realizing Lorelai misunderstood him, Luke put his finger over her lips. "I'm not mad. I'm just sitting here wondering how a jerk like me managed to get someone as amazing as you. Thank you for understanding and for taking care of this."

"You're welcome, but don't you EVER put yourself down in or out of my presence again. You are a wonderful, incredible man, Luke Danes. I consider myself to be the lucky one," Lorelai said as she cupped Luke's face with her hand.

Repeating the gesture, Luke said, "Maybe we are both the lucky ones." He then leaned over and kissed Lorelai. "So, where do we go from here?"

"I know where I'd like to go," Lorelai said, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

As much as Luke wanted to take Lorelai straight upstairs, he knew they needed to get this worked out first. "Lorelai," he said in his gruff, warning tone.

Lorelai just laughed. "Oh, that's not what you meant. So sorry." Then a thoughtful look crossed her face. "I think we need to finish moving in here as soon as possible, that way we can show we'll have plenty of room for April when she stays with us. I'm sure they will need financial statements and any criminal records. We also might want to start collecting come character witnesses. Thankfully that one won't be any problem. Most of the town would be willing to help on that one."

"You've been watching 'Law and Order' again, haven't you?" Luke teased.

Lorelai laughed again. "No, it was 'Without a Trace'."

Luke chuckled as well, and then sighed. "I just wish all this wasn't so hard. Part of me wishes I had never found out about April since finding out about her has caused so much trouble, not only this whole thing with Anna, but between me and you as well," he said as he leaned forward on the couch and rested his elbows on his knees. "Man, I'm horrible."

Lorelai began to rub her hand up and down Luke's back. "Luke, you are not horrible. You are only human and it's an understandable reaction. I would think something is wrong only if you didn't feel that way. You aren't saying that you hate April, just the situation in which she was introduced into your life. You lived for over thirteen years thinking your life was one way only to suddenly find out, totally out of the blue, that it was partly a lie and a lie you weren't even responsible for telling."

"Am I doing the right thing?"

As if sensing how hard it had been for Luke to ask that question, Lorelai moved closer to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Laying her head on his shoulder, she said, "All you are trying to do is welcome your daughter into your life, to try and share it with her. You are trying to step up and be April's father, something you were robbed of for all those years."

Luke just sat there for a moment, thinking. How would his life have changed if he had found out earlier about April? What if Anna had told him when she had gotten pregnant? Would he have gone against his better judgment and renewed a relationship with her because they were going to have a child? Would he have still met Lorelai? And if he had, how would his having a child affect their relationship? How would it have affected his relationship with Rory? Would he have looked at her as a daughter figure if he had already known he had one? There were just too many what ifs, how abouts, and would haves. Then he thought of one more. What if this was the way things were supposed to have gone? Maybe he was exactly where he was supposed to be. "Lorelai, I don't know how my life might have changed if I had found out earlier about April, but I do know if this is what it took to get me and you to this point, then it is all worth it."

"I love you, Luke Danes."

Looking over at Lorelai, Luke could see the tears in her eyes, but the smile on her face showed him that she was happy. "I love you, too, Lorelai Danes."

Lorelai's smile only grew. "I am never going to get tired of hearing myself called that. It just sounds right."

Moving closer, Luke said, "I'll agree to that." And then he kissed her.

_The end . . . for now._

**Author's Note: **If the epilogue's title made anyone think that Luke and Lorelai would not stay happy, I'm sorry. I actually did it on purpose as an attention grabber. I'm not sorry, however, for breaking Anna's heart. The more I watch the show in reruns, the more I can't stand her. I know Luke is a bit out of character during his interaction with Anna, but I wanted him to FINALLY stand up for Lorelai and to make Anna realize that it was truly over between the two of them. Anna will make an appearance in the next two sequels, though more so in the second story than in the third. Another person who likes to cause havoc will also appear. I'm also thinking of having another ghost of relationships past pop up, but only if it feels right for the story, which right now it appears that it just might. But don't worry. I'm not going to have Jason suddenly show up during the vow renewal to declare his love for Lorelai or anything like that. That would be a little too soap opera for me. I'll leave that to the writers of the show. ; )

I wanted to thank everyone who has been following this story. At last count I've had over 8,500 hits. (It looks like less because when I took off the chapter that just contained an author's note, some of the hit counts were removed.) That is far beyond my wildest imagination. I never thought anything I wrote would garner that much attention. And to everyone who has sent me a review, I want to send a special thank you. You'll never know how much your words of encouragement meant to me. They kept me going when I wanted to give up on this story. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart! I'll see you all again soon!


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